I just returned from the town of Green Level in Alamance County, where Gov. Bev Perdue announced the award of economic recovery funding of more than $40 million to 35 communities in 28 counties in drinking water projects as part of her JobsNOW initiative. I was pleased to join the governor this morning as she informed the leaders and citizens of Green Level that the town will receive nearly $2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to construct a 300,000 gallon elevated water storage tank and associated waterlines.
The announcement this morning was special, in that this small town has only one drinking water supply line (it purchases its water from the city of Graham), and that it has no water storage capacity. This means that Green Level's citizens have been without water on several occasions due to water lines breaks. The funding announced today means the citizens of Green Level will have a safe and reliable water supply, as well as the capacity to add new water line extensions, providing the fuel for growth and a stronger tax base. The funding also means that new jobs will be created as construction of the storage tanks gets underway.
This is an example of just one of 35 projects funded in this first-round distribution of nearly $40.4 million by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Other public water supply systems receiving project awards will upgrade water supply treatment and replace aging water lines. Round two funding will be awarded this summer for the remaining $25 million of the total $65.6 million in monies received by North Carolina for drinking water infrastructure projects.
Gov. Perdue’s leadership and commitment to ensuring these funds go to work quickly for the citizens of North Carolina has been crucial. And as I saw this morning, the federal economic recovery dollars truly highlight the importance of partnerships between leaders on the local, state and federal level. I look forward to seeing these projects reach completion, and as they do so, improving the health of the state's economy and its citizens.