State Treasurer Janet Cowell announced Monday that $18.6 million in federal economic recovery has been approved by the Local Government Commission, which she chairs, to be invested in water and wastewater projects in the Triangle and surrounding areas.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources administers this funding through its Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program and its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program.

More than 70 projects have been approved statewide totaling $83.3 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Of the $120 million available for the program, $43.1 million and $40.2 million have been approved respectively.

The loans help local governments in that they are interest-free and only half of the principal amount has to be repaid.

Area highlights include:

· Johnston County received more than $5 million to construct a water pretreatment system at the county plant.

· Moore County received $3 million to construct five sewer lift stations and add remote monitoring.

· Sanford is using $2.2 million to rehabilitate a two million gallon clear well.

· Southeastern Wayne Sanitary District received $1.5 million to construct more than six miles of water transmission lines.

· Fayetteville will use $600,000 to rehabilitate storm water basin drainage outfalls to protect the head water of Little Cross Creek. This helps to protect the watershed.

· Raleigh received $465,735 for the installation of rain water harvesting systems at 12 locations, resulting in thousands of gallons of rainwater being removed from the storm water pollution cycle.

"My office is working diligently to help local communities take advantage of the federal stimulus program to meet their critical infrastructure needs," Treasurer Cowell said. "These projects improve water quality and enhance the water supply while providing jobs and bolstering the economy."

Additional information on these projects and other economic recovery projects can be found at www.ncrecovery.gov.

Below is a list of all approved projects in the area:

WASTEWATER / STORMWATER

• Moore County
  $3,000,000
• Youngsville
  $919,280
• Fayetteville
  $600,000
• Raleigh
  $465,735
• Roxboro
  $465,548
• Selma
  $180,000
  

WATER

• Johnson County
  $5,075,000
• Sanford
  $2,256,132
• Southeastern Wayne Sanitary Dist.
  $1,593,000
• Belfast Patetown Sanit. Dist.
  $1,165,000
• Northwestern Wayne Sanitary Dist.
  $684,000
• Linden
  $681,040
• Louisburg
  $648,000
• Clinton
  $458,052
• Franklinton
  $300,900
• Holly Springs
  $81,600
• Spring Lake
  $76,500
  
  

TOTAL - $18,649,787