The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure announced on Mar. 27 that it is accepting public comments on updates to several Intended Use Plans and Project Priority Lists for water and wastewater infrastructure funding. Comments will be accepted until March 30, 2026, for certain updates, and until April 13, 2026, for new draft Intended Use Plans and proposed Priority Rating Systems related to the State Revolving Fund programs.
These Intended Use Plans guide how the state administers funds through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The plans cover both base funding as well as supplemental funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), including allocations for emerging contaminants and lead service line replacement.
According to the department’s announcement, these programs provide low-interest loans with principal forgiveness to support projects such as water treatment facilities, wastewater collection systems, reclaimed water facilities, energy efficiency upgrades, stormwater controls, stream restoration projects, PFAS contamination mitigation efforts, and lead service line replacements in drinking water systems.
Five new draft Intended Use Plans are available for review through April 13. These documents detail how new State Revolving Funds will be managed in the upcoming year. They also include updated Priority Rating Systems used to determine which projects receive financial assistance. Additionally, four previously adopted IUPs have been updated with changes marked in red text; these are open for comment until March 30.
Interested individuals can submit feedback by email or mail before noon on the specified deadlines. More information about these opportunities is available from the Division of Water Infrastructure.
