EPA announces water infrastructure investment at Clayton site

Michael Regan, a North Carolina native and current administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced a new wave of federal funding for water infrastructure upgrades from a water facility under construction in Clayton Friday.

"I'm proud of the North Carolina leadership and its smaller, rural communities like Clayton that are leading the charge for the rest of the nation," Regan said.

The EPA announced it's investing more than $775 million to upgrade drinking, stormwater, and wastewater systems and nearly half of the funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans to help underserved communities.

This wave of funding is part of the more than $50 billion allocated to improve the nation's water systems in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"Is $50 billion enough? Not quite," Regan said. The EPA head estimates America's water infrastructure needs as much as $700 billion for infrastructure, but says the agency will be strategic with the resources it has been given.

Regan was joined by other federal and local leaders on the tour, including Congressman Wiley Nickel.

"This is a big deal for North Carolina's 13th district and a big deal in Clayton to see federal investments in clean water," Nickel said.

The new Clayton facility will be able to process 10 million gallons a day, more than four times the capacity of the town's current aging infrastructure which is about 70 years old.

Leaders met with community members including James Wiesner, a local farmer who has been an advocate for clean water since his daughter was born.

"She had a birth defect from her fingers to her elbows. It was from the water, it was in the well water at our house," Wiesner said.

Stories that Regan says pushes him to make clean water a priority.

"Every single person in the country, especially our children, deserve access to clean drinking water and we’re going to work night and day to make sure we get that job done," Regan said.