North Carolina’s Big Push to Tackle PFAS Pollution

North Carolina is spending $472 million across 66 counties to tackle PFAS, aging water systems, and long-delayed utility upgrades

21 Feb 2026

North Carolina is making one of its biggest water infrastructure pushes yet, sending more than $472 million to drinking water and wastewater projects in 66 counties. The funding, approved by the State Water Infrastructure Authority on February 18, is aimed at old systems, storm-hit utilities, and communities still dealing with PFAS contamination.

Some of the largest awards go straight at the state’s forever-chemical problem. Goldsboro will receive $33 million through state revolving funds and reserve financing to build a treatment system designed to remove PFAS from its drinking water. That follows a 2024 pilot study showing the city’s levels were just above the EPA’s federal limit of 4 parts per trillion, a small gap on paper that can carry a big price tag in practice.

The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority also landed a major share, with $34.8 million split across two projects. One $17 million grant will help extend water lines to more than 300 homes in New Hanover County where private wells tested above health-based PFAS standards. Another $17.8 million will support replacement work at the Southside Water Reclamation Facility, bringing total state backing for that project to nearly $193 million.

Governor Josh Stein cast the spending as a public health measure, and the numbers help explain why. In some affected parts of New Hanover County, more than three-quarters of sampled wells exceeded state standards for certain PFAS compounds. For residents relying on private wells, the issue is not abstract. It is right there in the tap.

The latest funding round also comes with a clock attached. The EPA’s $5 billion Emerging Contaminants program runs through fiscal year 2026, making this the last year communities can tap its full annual allocation. State officials reviewed nearly $1.9 billion in requests before approving this package, a sign that demand is running far ahead of available money.

That leaves the next round carrying even more weight. Applications for spring 2026 funding are due April 30, and state officials are already holding regional training sessions for utilities hoping to secure what funding remains.