The North Carolina Wastewater Discharge Elimination (WaDE) Program is located in the On-site Water Protection Section of DENR's Division of Environmental Health.

The WaDE Program was established pursuant by state law to identify and eliminate discharges that travel from straight pipes and failing septic systems to land surfaces and streams. Funds appropriated by the N.C. General Assembly support a two-member team to address the straight pipe and failing septic system issues in North Carolina. Additional financial support has been secured through grants from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Environmental Protection Agency's 319 Non-point Source Program.

The WaDE Program aligns its goals to match the strategic goals of the N.C. General Assembly, the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Division of Environmental Health.

Strong collaboration with local and federal agencies as well as the public, the media, and environmental groups is the hallmark of the WaDE program and the key to its successes.

Education and Outreach

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Reports to the N.C. General Assembly
• Identifying Failing Septic Systems (presentation)
• Enforcement (presentation)
• Success Stories