§ 159G-22.  Water Infrastructure Fund.

(a) Fund Established. - The Water Infrastructure Fund is established as a special revenue fund. The Fund is comprised of the accounts set out in this section. The Fund provides revenue through its accounts for loans and grants as provided in this Chapter to meet the water infrastructure needs of the State. The Treasurer is responsible for distributing and investing all revenue received by the Fund. Interest and other investment income earned by the Fund accrues to it and must be allocated to the account to which the income is attributable. Accounts to which federal funds are credited must be kept separate from accounts that do not receive federal funds. A payment of the principal of or interest on a loan made from an account of the Fund must be credited to the account from which the loan was made.

(b) CWSRF. - The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is established as an account within the Water Infrastructure Fund. The account receives federal funds for wastewater projects and the State funds required to match the federal funds. The account is established under and must be managed in accordance with Title VI of the Federal Water Quality Act of 1987, Pub. L. 100-4, to achieve the purposes of that act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 through 1387. The account must comply with these federal acts and the federal regulations adopted to implement the acts. Revenue credited to the account is available in perpetuity and must be used only to provide construction loans and other assistance allowed under federal law. Grants are available from this account only to the extent allowed under federal law.

(c) DWSRF. - The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is established as an account within the Water Infrastructure Fund. The account receives federal funds for public water systems and the State funds required to match the federal funds. The account is established under and must be managed in accordance with section 130 of Title 1 of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 300J-12, to achieve the purposes of that act. The account must comply with that act and the federal regulations adopted to implement the act. Revenue credited to the account is available in perpetuity and must be used only to provide construction loans and other assistance allowed under federal law. Grants are available from this account only to the extent allowed under federal law.

(d) Wastewater Reserve. - The Wastewater Reserve is established as an account within the Water Infrastructure Fund. The account is established to receive State funds that are to be used for loans and grants for wastewater systems. Revenue credited to the Reserve is neither received from the federal government nor provided as a match for federal funds.

(e) Wastewater Accounts. - The Department is directed to establish accounts within the Wastewater Reserve to administer loans and grants for wastewater collection systems, wastewater treatment works, stormwater quality projects, and nonpoint source pollution projects. The wastewater accounts must include an account for each type of loan or grant set out in G.S. 159G-33.

(f) Drinking Water Reserve. - The Drinking Water Reserve is established as an account within the Water Infrastructure Fund. The account is established to receive State funds that are to be used for loans and grants for public water systems. Revenue credited to the Reserve is neither received from the federal government nor provided as a match for federal funds.

(g) Drinking Water Accounts. - The Department is directed to establish accounts within the Drinking Water Reserve to administer loans and grants for public water systems. The drinking water accounts must include an account for each type of loan or grant set out in G.S. 159G-34.

(h) Viable Utility Reserve. - The Viable Utility Reserve is established as an account within the Water Infrastructure Fund. The account is established to receive appropriated State funds to be used for grants to local government units for those purposes authorized under this Article. Revenue credited to the Viable Utility Reserve is neither received from the federal government nor provided as a match for federal funds.

(i) Viable Utility Accounts. - The Department is directed to establish accounts within the Viable Utility Reserve to administer grants for public water systems or wastewater systems owned by local government units.

(j) Unused CWSRF and DWSRF State Match. - Funds appropriated to the Department for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund or the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to provide State matching funds that are in excess of the amount required to draw down all available federal capitalization grant funds may also be used for water and wastewater infrastructure grants awarded from the Wastewater Reserve, the Drinking Water Reserve, or the Viable Utility Reserve. (2005-454, s. 3; 2020-79, s. 1(b); 2021-180, s. 12.12(a).)