DURHAM, NC (December 5, 2025) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) announced her Community Project Funding request for the Town of Hillsborough’s Water Treatment Facility Improvement Project was included in the FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Act. This $1 million in federal funding will be used to convert the water treatment plant from a chlorine gas disinfection system to a safer sodium hypochlorite system.
Water treatment facilities in the United States have used chlorine gas as a way to eliminate pathogens from drinking water distribution systems since the early 1900s. However, chlorine gas is acutely toxic. When chlorine gas is transported and stored under high pressure it poses high risks, including accidental release during transport and equipment failure. The release of a few pounds of the stored gas at a water treatment plant could place staff and nearby residential neighborhoods in danger within minutes.
“Ensuring the safety of our communities requires modern, lower-risk treatment systems like sodium hypochlorite,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. “This critical federal investment will allow Hillsborough to eliminate the hazards associated with chlorine gas and make meaningful improvements to public safety. I am proud to secure these resources and will continue to advocate for investments that strengthen our local infrastructure and ensure every family in our community has access to safe, reliable water.”
“The Town of Hillsborough appreciates the support of Congress and especially Rep. Valerie Foushee to help fund local projects to strengthen the health and safety of our town,” said Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell. “The goal of our project is to replace the chlorine gas disinfection system at our water treatment plant with a less hazardous system. This will reduce health risks to employees and the public while also decreasing potential supply interruptions for our disinfection system. Support for Hillsborough's project is crucial to ensure the town can safely meet the demand of our residential and business utility customers in the future.”
In May, Congresswoman Foushee submitted fifteen requests to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration for Community Project Funding in the Fourth District. All of Congresswoman Foushee’s Community Project Funding requests and the financial disclosures can be found here.
A detailed summary of the FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Act is available here.