EPA allocates $409M to NC to prepare local water infrastructure for future disasters

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ASHEVILLE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has allocated $409.4 million to the state to prepare local drinking water utilities for future natural disasters.
Tropical Storm Helene knocked out Asheville's water system in September, leaving its 160,000 customers without potable water for seven weeks.
Even after repairs, the system is more vulnerable to future storms.
'In February, I visited communities in Asheville to witness firsthand the crucial role drinking water utilities have in responding to natural disasters,' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an Aug. 11 news release.
'This funding to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality will help secure the infrastructure of these systems to ensure EPA can fulfill its core mission to protect human health and the environment.'
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The storm killed more than 100 people and caused an estimated $60 billion in damage.
Asheville Water Department spokesperson Clay Chandler said the funding would be "critical" to the operation of water systems across the state.
'This money will be put to good use, not only here in Asheville, but there are other water systems in Western North Carolina who need it, too," he told the Citizen Times Aug. 13.
In Burnsville, a town in Yancey County, northeast of Asheville, Helene destroyed both of its raw water intakes, leaving residents, businesses, schools, medical facilities and government agencies without water, Mayor Russell Fox said in the release.
The town is still running on a temporary pumping system until the primary intake system can be rebuilt.
More: Helene spared their home. But without a bridge, living there isn't easy.
Old Fort, in McDowell County, also saw its water system destroyed. It was brought back 'as quickly as possible' with "Band-aid repairs," Mayor Pam Snypes said in the release, but the last 10 months have been spent making repairs more efficient.
'Repairs are very expensive,' Snypes said. 'The availability of these funds will provide a way to ensure going forward that our water system will be a stable system in the event another disaster occurs.'
The nearly $400 million is part of the 2025 Supplemental Appropriation for Helene, Milton and the Hawaii wildfires, administered by the state revolving fund. Dollars can be used to improve drinking water treatment, distribute water, improve the source of water supply, replace or construct finished water storage tanks and complete other projects needed to protect public health through drinking water infrastructure.
Sen. Ted Budd applauded the allocation in an Aug. 12 release. He said repairing Western North Carolina's damaged infrastructure is a 'key component' of ongoing recovery efforts.
'This is a step in the right direction to aid reconstruction efforts and mitigate future natural disasters,' he said.
Though dollars are earmarked for water infrastructure improvements, it is not yet dedicated to specific projects, Chandler said. WNC water utilities will have to apply for funding, attaching various projects to their applications.
As of May, the federal government had awarded the state $3.8 billion for Helene recovery. The state has approved more than $2 billion in disaster aid over four bills.
Status of Asheville water projects?
In July, the city approved two multimillion-dollar contracts to sustain operations of a temporary water pretreatment system installed after the storm.
The systems were described as a 'needed redundancy' if turbidity spikes again in the city's reservoirs. The city is working toward eventual installation of a permanent solution — a $150 million to $200 million project and a buildout that could take up to five years.
The temporary pretreatment systems have been operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at two city water treatment plants for months and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At North Fork, the city's largest treatment plant, that contract ended Aug. 9 and contractor CDM Smith, Inc. took over operations. The contract at William DeBruhl, a smaller plant in Swannanoa, ends Aug. 18, with a separate contractor ready to take over.
The city applied for funding for the temporary and permanent systems through FEMA's Public Assistance program, which provides supplemental grants to local governments impacted by disasters. It does not have a timeline for when funding might be awarded.
The temporary systems will be in place at both water plants at least until late September, Chandler said. The city is negotiating to have them remain for as long as possible, or until a permanent solution is in place.
Chandler said the city will likely apply for EPA funds for the permanent pretreatment system. The city is still exploring if the temporary system could be eligible for that funding.
More: Asheville approves two new contracts aimed at stabilizing water access
More: Asheville Citizen Times staff recognized for journalism excellence in Helene coverage
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [e-mail] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: U.S. EPA: $409M for NC water utility infrastructure after Helene
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