Interbasin Transfer Certification Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is an interbasin transfer?
When is EMC certification required?
What is required for EMC certification?
- Q.
- What is an interbasin transfer?
- A.
- Basically, it's the movement of surface water from one river basin into another. The actual transfer is the amount of water not returned to its source basin.
- The most typical situation occurs when a water system has an intake and wastewater discharge in different basins. But other situations also cause transfers. One is where a system's service area
covers more than one basin. Any water used up or consumed in a portion of the service area outside of the source basin would be considered part of a transfer (e.g. watering your yard). Transfers can
also occur between interconnected systems, where a system in one basin purchases water from a system in another basin.
- At some level, interbasin transfers can begin to have detrimental effects on the downstream environment and downstream users. The Regulation of Surface Water Transfers Act ensures that large
transfers with this potential are subject to thorough technical and environmental review. The Act define 38 separate river basins.
- Q.
- When is EMC certification required?
- A.
- - New transfers of 2 MGD or more require certification
- - Increases in existing transfers of 25% or more above average daily amount transferred during the year ending July 1, 1993, if the total transfer including the increase is 2.0 MGD or more.
- - The Surface Water Transfer law includes a grandfather provision for existing facilities and their capacity to transfer water on or prior to July 1, 1993.
- Q.
- What is required for EMC certification?
- A.
- - Prepare petition
- - Public hearing
- - EMC must consider:
- - necessity, reasonableness, and beneficial effects of transfer
- - detrimental effects on both source and receiving basin
- water supply needs
- wastewater assimilation
- water quality
- fish and wildlife habitat
- hydroelectric power generation
- navigation
- recreation
- flooding
- - reasonable alternatives
- A certificate shall be granted for a water transfer if the applicant establishes and the Commission concludes that the benefits of the proposed transfer outweigh the detriments, and the
detriments have been or will be mitigated to a reasonable degree.
If you would like to be included on the Division of Water Resource's mailing list to receive information relating to Interbasin Transfers and the Environmental Management Commission's Water
Allocation Committee meetings, please click on the link below to send an e-mail request to join the list.
Join the Water Allocation Committee mailing list: join-water_allocation_committee@news.ncwater.org
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