Whiteville will receive $6.8 million for the replacement and rehabilitation of part of the sewer system, and upgrades at several lift stations, Gov. Roy Cooper announced today (Wednesday).
The grant includes $1.5 million in principal forgiveness. City Manager Darren Currie said the funds will be used along Lee and Franklin streets., The work will be coordinated with the Department of Transportation on repaving.
“The City wants to get ahead of DOT,” Currie said. “We want to install water and sewer lines first, so that when paving is complete, hopefully we will not be digging up the street to make repairs.”
A total of $43.7 million will be distributed to communities in the southeast, a press release said. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed roughly 275 eligible applications from 75 out of 100 counties in the state. Requests totaled $2.29 billion. The awards were approved by the State Water Infrastructure Authority during a meeting on Feb. 20.
A request for funding to improve water lines in the same project areas did not get funded, Currie said.
“There is a spring cycle and I think we have a great shot at getting funding for the water line replacements,” Currie said.
