Contact: Johanna Reese 919-715-7357 Date: June 1, 2000 Distribution: Statewide
Plan Addresses Water Supply Availability Across State

RALEIGH - The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources is seeking public input on a draft of the first ever State Water Supply Plan for North Carolina. The non-regulatory plan, mandated by the 1989 General Assembly, describes the major water supply issues facing state and local governments now and over the next decade and strategies for addressing these issues.

"For the first time we have a statewide review of what areas of the state are facing problems with having an adequate water supply and what we need to do to meet these future needs," said Bill Holman, secretary of the department. "If we are to ensure that all North Carolinians continue to have enough water, we must look at the entire state and coordinate the efforts of all our co mmunities."

The plan includes four recommendations. · Ground water withdrawals should be regulated in the 15-county Central Coastal Plain to ensure that these aquifers remain a productive, high-quality, sustainable water supply for the region. · Water systems using on average more than 80 percent of their available supply should actively manage their water demand and pursue additional water supplies. · All water systems should have a Water Shortage Response Plan to reduce the likelihood of serious effects during a drought or other water shortage. · Local governments are encouraged to seek regional water supply solutions where feasible, since increasing costs and regulatory requirements for new water supplies and treatment facilities make it less practical for communities to act independently to meet future water supply needs.

The plan, a compilation of more than 500 detailed local water supply plans, pulls together information that local governments should consider when planning their future water supply needs. It also provides current and projected water supply and demand information through 2020 for local systems. An atlas-style series of river basin summaries provides basin-specific information about factors affecting water demand, water use by type, and general water availability for each of the major river basins in the state.

While North Carolina has a generous natural supply of water, in some areas this availability is limited, causing problems where high demand or competition among water users exists. Over-pumping of the Cretaceous aquifers in the Central Coastal Plain is resulting in depletion and saltwater intrusion; high growth is occurring in the headwaters of some of our Piedmont river basins where streams are relatively small; and coastal areas where freshwater is naturally limited have high summer demands.

As North Carolina continues to grow, the solutions to water supply problems will include monitoring water supplies and their use, identifying the best water supplies and using existing supplies more efficiently, and regulation to avoid depletion of our water resources and conflicts among water users.

Several informational meetings will be held across the state in late June to answer questions about water supply planning and to receive comments and suggestions about the draft plan. Interested parties are encouraged to review the plan at the North Carolina Division of Water Resources web site at www.dwr.ehnr.state.nc.us/wsas/nc_swsp.htm. Anyone wishing to comment on the plan should send questions and suggestions to swsp@dwr.ehnr.state.nc.us or the Water Supply Planning Section, Division of Water Resources, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611, or call 919-733-4064. The final State Water Supply Plan, including updated local water supply plan information, will be released by November 2000.

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