HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Hendersonville city leaders and state and regional representatives gathered at the Hendersonville Wastewater Treatment Facility to celebrate a $72 million blend of grants and low-interest loans to expand and improve the facility.

The project funding has arrived almost exactly two years after Tropical Storm Helene hit the region, causing devastating damage across Western North Carolina. One of the areas hit was the Wastewater Treatment Facility, which was flooded by the storm, damaging equipment and leaving the facility inoperable for almost two weeks.

A large portion of the funds raised will go to mitigate future flooding at the facility.

The grants and loans included the following allocations:

  • $20.1 million in grant funding, awarded by the United States Economic Development Administration for wastewater treatment infrastructure improvements to support the local manufacturing industry impacted by Helene
  • $2 million in grant funding from Dogwood Health Trust towards expansion of the facility
  • $11 million in North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Revolving Fund grant funding for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Flood Mitigation Project
  • $39 million in DEQ SRF low-interest loans for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Flood Mitigation Project

“We are thrilled to receive this funding to complete improvements at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility,” said Adam Steurer, facility utilities director. “The project makes our wastewater treatment facility more resilient to extreme flooding like we saw during Hurricane Helene but also provides additional treatment capacity to support the needs of our growing community.”

The Wastewater Treatment Facility Flood Mitigation Project will increase wastewater treatment capacity to six million gallons per day, improve facility resiliency against future disasters, safeguard Mud Creek and the French Broad River Basin from unclean water and ensure reliable wastewater service for residents across Hendersonville.

“The ability to provide great services to our residents and businesses is huge,” said Hendersonville Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Hensley. “We have received millions of dollars in grants so far, and this will have a direct impact on our ratepayers and our businesses. We are very grateful for the partnerships that have made this possible.”

(Courtesy: City of Hendersonville) Representatives from the City of Hendersonville and other partners celebrated the grants and loans received to fund Hendersonville’s Wastewater Treatment Facility Flood Mitigation and Expansion Project. L to R: Zachary Trammel of McKim & Creed, Brent Detwiler of the city of Hendersonville, Susan Mims of Dogwood Health Trust, Devin Owen of the city of Hendersonville, Garrett DeMoss of the city of Hendersonville, Suzanne Molloy of the NC DEQ Division of Water Infrastructure, Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Hensley of the city of Hendersonville, Adam Steurer of the city of Hendersonville and Brian White of Land of Sky Regional Council.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Dogwood Health Trust, Land of Sky Regional Council and other partners were present at the funding announcement ceremony.

“Our utility staff and partners have worked diligently to win these competitive funding awards so that we may complete important infrastructure projects while keeping our rates affordable,” said Steurer. “I’m also grateful for the regional Land of Sky Council of Governments team and the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development who assisted Hendersonville with the EDA funding application.”

For more information, visit www.hendersonvillenc.gov/news/wastewater-treatment-facility-investments.