Press Releases

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) expanded its severe drought classification and classified two countiesas in extreme drought in the latest advisory issued Thursday.

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that communities statewide will receive more than $253 million in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure funding and stormwater construction grants to help pay for 70 projects in 30 counties statewide, including 51 construction projects. The awards include emerging contaminants (PFAS) funding and funding for lead service line inventories and replacements.

The North Carolina State Emergency Response Team is in close coordination with agencies in Virginia regarding the ongoing environmental issue resulting from the South Hill, Virginia, warehouse fire that occurred on July 6.

State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory at a sound-side site in Dare County.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet via teleconference on Tuesday, July 16, from 9 a.m.-4:15 p.m. The public may listen to the meeting online or by phone.

The Virginia Department of Health has issued a recreational swimming and fish consumption advisory for surface waters, including the Meherrin and Roanoke rivers, that extend to the North Carolina-Virginia border. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) is sharing this advisory for public awareness of residents and visitors in the potentially affected areas of Warren, Northampton and Halifax counties near the Virginia border.

New harvest reporting requirements for recreational and commercial fisheries have been delayed by one year and will now become effective on Dec. 1, 2025.

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) has expanded its severe and moderate drought classifications across the state, and introduce the extreme drought classification for part of one county in eastern North Carolina.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will collect Red Snapper carcasses from recreational fishermen during the July 12 Red Snapper mini-season.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold an in-person workshop July 15-17 with the Oyster/Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to review draft Amendment 5 to the Eastern Oyster Fishery Management Plan and draft Amendment 3 to the Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan.