Nonpoint Source Planning
What's New
- June 2025 - The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Water Resources (DWR) is in the process of reviewing proposals for the Fiscal Year 2025 Clean Water Act Section 319 (h) Grant to implement projects that restore the quality of waters impaired by nonpoint source (NPS) pollution; the application deadline was May 30, 2025.
- June 2025 - The Division of Water Resources held a virtual Falls Lake stakeholder meeting to provide an update on the Falls rules readoption process and timeline, and to share and discuss draft concepts currently under consideration by DWR for inclusion in rule amendments. A recording of the meeting presentation and discussion can be viewed here: Falls Lake virtual stakeholder meeting.
- July 2025 - The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Water Resources (DWR) is soliciting proposals for the Fiscal Year 2025 Clean Water Act Section 205j Grant that implement water quality planning projects; the application deadline is September 18, 2025.
Nonpoint source pollution, or polluted runoff, occurs when water picks up pollutants from surfaces like rooftops, roads, constructions sites, and farms, then carries them into groundwater, lakes, rivers, and estuaries. This pollution, which can include sediments, nutrients, and metals, is the leading cause of water quality degradation in North Carolina and nationwide, affecting waters used for fishing, swimming, and drinking.
The Nonpoint Source Planning Branch manages the state’s pollution control efforts in two main ways. First, it leads the development and oversight of nutrient strategies to restore key waters like the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse Estuaries and Falls and Jordan Lakes. Second, it oversees federal grants supporting planning and restoration projects: the 319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant and 205(j) Watershed Planning Grant.
In addition to these direct efforts, 319-funded and other staff across various state agencies work together to carry out USEPA’s charge for states to manage nonpoint source pollution in a planned and coordinated manner. This approach is outlined in North Carolina’s Nonpoint Source Management Plan (2018).
Staff Contacts
To stay up-to-date, please consider joining any of our mailing lists.