North Carolina Rep. Warren’s water and wastewater regionalization study bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Harry Warren seeks to identify cost-saving and quality improvements in regional water and wastewater services across North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 45 Democrats and 69 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 19 Democrats and 25 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Warren filed the bill in the North Carolina House on April 2 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 694, was passed on June 11 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Reg’l Water Study/IBT Subbasin/TMDL.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to conduct a study on the regionalization of water and wastewater services. The objective is to identify areas in North Carolina where costs could be reduced and service quality could be enhanced. The bill highlights challenges faced by distressed systems, such as insufficient revenue, small service populations, and unnecessary infrastructure duplication due to competition among local governments. The study will analyze financial, statutory, and regulatory obstacles and propose legislative or regulatory changes to enhance financial stability. The Environmental Finance Center will consult with various state entities and report its findings by April 1, 2026. The act takes effect upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Harry Warren (Republican-76th District) and Rep. Stephen M. Ross (Republican-63rd District).

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Warren graduated from Kent State University in 1972 with a BA.

Warren, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 76th House district, replacing previous state representative Carl Ford.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.