Georgia is set to receive nearly $500 million in federal funding to strengthen drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the state $499.385 million. The funding will be administered through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and is intended to support continued recovery efforts while making water and wastewater systems more resilient to future natural disasters.
GEFA has been preparing to distribute the Hurricane Helene resilience funding through its existing water infrastructure programs. The agency says eligible projects must involve systems impacted by Hurricane Helene and improve resilience to flooding, rapid hydrologic changes or other natural disasters.
“As communities across Georgia continue to recover from the most destructive storm in state history, these funds will help accelerate that ongoing work,” Kemp said in announcing the award.
The funding stems from federal disaster relief legislation and includes money for drinking water systems, wastewater infrastructure and decentralized wastewater systems such as septic systems. GEFA began soliciting projects from communities in October 2025, with the application period running through the end of December.
The largest portion — approximately $359.5 million — is designated for drinking water projects. Another $124.9 million is allocated for wastewater infrastructure, while nearly $9 million is designated for decentralized wastewater systems. GEFA’s published program documents confirm those allocations.
Additional federal funding is also being provided to help communities respond to drinking water and wastewater emergencies.
Communities seeking Helene Resilience Funding must demonstrate impacts from the hurricane and show how their proposed projects address those impacts while strengthening their systems against future disasters. Potential projects can include flood protection for treatment facilities, backup power, improvements designed to prevent system failures and other infrastructure upgrades.
GEFA has published its Helene Resilience Funding plans and project information as the state moves toward distributing the money to eligible communities.