BURNSVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Gov. Josh Stein announced Friday that North Carolina has surpassed $1 billion in funding for water infrastructure and resilience projects in Western North Carolina as communities continue recovering nearly two years after Tropical Storm Helene.
Stein and Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson made the announcement during a visit to Burnsville, where state officials highlighted ongoing efforts to rebuild drinking water and wastewater systems damaged by the September 2024 storm.
According to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, 98 percent of the water systems damaged by Helene have been restored. However, officials estimate more than $758 million in unmet needs remain to fully repair infrastructure and strengthen systems against future storms.
“Twenty-one months after Hurricane Helene devastated communities throughout western North Carolina, I am proud of the Department of Environmental Quality’s billion-dollar commitment toward ensuring North Carolinians have access to clean and safe water,” Stein said in a statement.
Stein noted that Burnsville residents went weeks without clean drinking water after the storm and said the state’s investments are helping the town build a more reliable and resilient water system.
Burnsville has received more than $17 million in state funding through the State Water Infrastructure Authority. That includes $13 million through the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds to improve the town’s drinking water supply, distribution system and sewer infrastructure. The funding builds on an earlier $4.5 million in emergency bridge loans and technical assistance grants to replace the town’s raw water intake.
Wilson said reaching the $1 billion mark is a significant milestone but that recovery work is far from complete.
“It’s an important milestone that DEQ has awarded over $1 billion for Helene recovery, but in some ways it’s just the beginning,” Wilson said. “In the years ahead we will continue to work hand in hand with local governments and nonprofits to complete these projects as quickly as possible so that our mountain communities build back stronger and are more resilient to future disasters.”
The announcement comes days after Stein signed the state’s first full budget in more than two years. The spending plan includes more than $700 million for Hurricane Helene recovery, including $20 million for dam repairs and $1 million to map landslide risks in mountain counties, including Yancey County.
Since taking office in January 2025, Stein said his administration has advanced more than $1.8 billion in water infrastructure projects statewide aimed at improving drinking water, wastewater systems and resilience while reducing contamination from PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals.”
DEQ also highlighted progress on its Flood Resiliency Blueprint, which has awarded $10 million for 19 flood resilience projects in the French Broad River Basin. The projects are designed to reduce flood risks and help communities better prepare for future storms.
Stein also announced a new interagency effort to update North Carolina’s 2020 Risk and Resilience Plan, saying lessons learned from Hurricane Helene underscore the need for stronger coordination among state agencies.
Despite the progress, state officials said available funding still falls well short of the need. DEQ announced in April that it had distributed the last of its federal disaster funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Helene-related water infrastructure projects. On July 15, the State Water Infrastructure Authority approved an additional $44 million in state-funded Helene water infrastructure grants, but applications seeking assistance still exceed available funding by more than $758 million.
Stein said he continues to press Congress for additional disaster recovery funding. During a trip to Washington in June, he renewed his request for a $10 billion federal recovery package that includes $1 billion through the EPA to improve water infrastructure, restore rivers, conduct brownfield assessments and support hazardous waste cleanup.
According to the governor’s office, Congress has not approved additional Hurricane Helene recovery funding since 2024.