In February, Gov. Mike Easley submitted a 2007-09 budget proposal that includes a $250 million bond referendum to address critical needs related to water and wastewater systems.
The proposal is included under the capital improvements budget for the Department of Environment and natural Resources. Specifically, it calls for bonds to provide:
• $125 million for drinking water system that experience problems providing water during drought, seek interconnections and regional linkages to increase capacity and reliability, or need to upgrade systems to maintain current service levels.
• $125 million for wastewater systems currently under consent agreements to address serious problems, under moratoria on new connections, or with substandard collection systems, or for service in areas with failing septic tanks.
