The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure is accepting public comment until April 7, 2023 on the draft Intended Use Plan for federal Lead Service Line Replacement funding. The draft Plan details the project types and priority ratings system proposed for the funding available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) invests $15 billion nationwide over five years towards identifying and replacing lead water system service lines connecting water mains to homes and businesses. The State of North Carolina is eligible for up to $87 million of funds in the first year through the Fiscal Year 2022 federal appropriations.

The draft Intended Use Plan (IUP) explains the administration of the Fiscal Year 2022 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Lead Service Line Replacement (DWSRF-LSLR) funding and the utilization of a proposed Priority Rating System to evaluate and rank applications for funding for Lead Service Line Replacement projects, identifying those projects that will address the greatest need and/or provide the greatest positive public health impact in North Carolina. The priority rating system is established by the State Water Infrastructure Authority and will be finalized after considering public comments

The Division administers the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program as established by the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), (P.L. 104-182), Section 1452. The DWSRF program offers low-interest loans and principal forgiveness loans to public water supply systems of local government units, non-profit water utilities and investor-owned drinking water companies.

The DWSRF program is capitalized by federal and state funding. The IUP for the DWSRF-LSLR funding is incorporated into the capitalization grant agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and becomes the grant work plan.

Additional information about Lead Service Line Replacement funding is available on the Division of Water Infrastructure website at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure/lead-service-line-replacement-funding

The Division is currently accepting Project Solicitation forms from eligible drinking water systems interested in applying for Lead Service Line Replacement funding at https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure/i-need-funding/application-forms-and-additional-resources

Interested parties are invited to provide comments on the draft Intended Use Plan, including the proposed Priority Rating System, by April 7, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be submitted:

• by email to dwi.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with subject line Comments on the proposed IUP for Lead Service Line Replacement Funding
• by mail to: Cathy Akroyd, Division of Water Infrastructure, 1633 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1633

Learn more about the Division of Water Infrastructure’s funding programs at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure