This action provides funding in the amount of $168,775 to north carolina department of environmental quality to carry out its program to maintain, protect, and improve the water quality of its rivers,…

The Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 awarded $168,775 to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality on October 1, 2025, under the Water Pollution Control State, Interstate, and Tribal Program Support program (CFDA 66.419) to maintain, protect, and improve water quality across the state's rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and other waterbodies.

The recipient will execute the current cycle of the Randomized Ambient Monitoring Survey (RAMS), collecting water quality data across North Carolina to assess the overall condition of rivers and streams. The project team will gather water chemistry results from 30 freshwater sites through water monitoring and laboratory analysis. Work includes collecting data from previously unmonitored waterbodies to support use support determinations and enable statistically valid statements about all freshwaters in North Carolina. The project will also begin preparing and planning for the next RAMS survey cycle scheduled for 2027–2028, coordinating monitoring locations, updating plans, and organizing resources. The recipient will submit required annual progress reports to the EPA and upload water quality data to the EPA Water Quality Exchange (WQX) database for public access and use by researchers, agencies, and the public.

The period of performance runs through December 31, 2027, with work performed in North Carolina. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement. The anticipated beneficiaries are residents of North Carolina.

This action provides funding in the amount of $168,775 to north carolina department of environmental quality to carry out its program to maintain, protect, and improve the water quality of its rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and other waterbodies. The environmental benefits of this program include preventing degradation of unimpaired waterbodies and reducing the number of impaired waterbodies in the state.activities:the project will carry out the current cycle of the state's water quality monitoring survey, known as the randomized ambient monitoring survey (rams). This work includes collecting water quality data across the state to help assess the overall condition of rivers and streams. The project will also begin preparing and planning for the next rams survey cycle scheduled for 2027-2028. This preparation includes coordinating monitoring locations, updating plans, and organizing resources needed for the next survey. In addition, the project team will submit required annual progress reports to the U.S. Environmental protection agency (EPA). Water quality data collected through the project will also be uploaded to the EPA water quality exchange (WQX) database so IT can be publicly available and used by researchers, agencies, and the public.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include collecting water chemistry results from 30 freshwater sites through participation in water monitoring and laboratory analysis. Expected outcomes include collecting data on previously unmonitored waterbodies to support assessments, including use support, and to allow statistically valid statements to be made about all freshwaters of the state of north carolina. The direct beneficiaries of the agreement are the residents of the state of north carolina.