RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Improvements are coming to Randolph County’s water and wastewater infrastructure. They’re backed by $85 million included in the North Carolina state budget.

The state budget includes $2 billion to improve water and sewer systems across the state to help mostly rural counties and towns across North Carolina, including Randolph County.

Randolph County wants to make sure its water and wastewater infrastructure can efficiently handle the significant growth in population the county expects to see over the next few years.

“This enables Randolph County and our municipalities to work together in a way that we’ve not been able to do in the years past because of lack of funding opportunities for that critical need for water and sewer expansions out into rural areas of northeastern Randolph County,” said Hal Johnson, Randolph County manager.

Randolph County leaders say the development of the Greensboro-Randolph County Megasite, where the Toyota battery facility will be built, and the neighboring Chatham County Advanced Manufacturing Site, will potentially bring an increase in population of more than 16,000 thousand to the county by 2040.

$85 million for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Randolph County will help improve existing facilities in areas they anticipate growth like the northeast portion of the county.

“Two years ago, we had … a water and sewer master plan study done, and we looked at all the needs of the county, and we ranked those needs based on how much those projects would cost,” Johnson said.

The county is still looking at projects identified in its water and sewer master plan study and is working with municipalities to determine how they should allocate the funds.

“I think the two major projects is the creation of a water line between the Randleman Lake and the city of Asheboro,” Johnson said.

From the $85 million Randolph County wants to begin putting money into some of its water and wastewater infrastructure projects in 2024.