The Request
The Town is seeking approval of an Interbasin Transfer (IBT) Certificate authorizing the transfer of up to 6.17 million gallons of water per day from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse River Basin. The request reflects projected water needs through 2055 and supports the Town’s long-term partnership with TriRiver Water and the City of Sanford.
Fuquay-Varina has long relied on wholesale water purchased from neighboring utilities. Those partnerships have served the Town well but were not designed to meet projected water needs through 2055.
The requested transfer is part of the Town’s long-term water supply strategy and will help ensure a reliable water supply for residents, businesses and public services in the years ahead.
No. The requested certificate establishes the maximum transfer projected during the planning period. Water demand will increase gradually over time, with the earliest transfers anticipated around 2035.
Water supply planning looks decades ahead because major infrastructure takes years to finance, permit and build. North Carolina requires local governments to prepare long-range water supply plans so future needs can be addressed before additional capacity is required.
Environmental Impacts
The Environmental Impact Statement found the proposed transfer would not affect water quantity, water quality or ecological health in the Cape Fear River Basin. That finding is based on more than five years of study, including the evaluation of 16 alternatives, nearly 100 years of hydrologic data, cumulative impact modeling and three climate scenarios.
The requested certificate authorizes a maximum transfer of 6.17 million gallons per day.
That amount represents projected demand at the end of the planning period (not current water use) and equals less than 0.3 percent of the Cape Fear River’s average flow.
The environmental review examined river conditions under average flows, historic droughts and future climate scenarios. Even under the most severe drought conditions modeled, the study found the proposed transfer would not alter downstream drought-response thresholds.
Yes. Potential effects on downstream communities, water supplies, river flows and water quality were central to the environmental review. Those issues were evaluated throughout the process and are addressed in detail in the Environmental Impact Statement.
The study evaluated conditions at the Fayetteville Public Works Commission intake. During Drought Level 1 conditions, the modeled change in river stage is less than two millimeters. According to the Environmental Impact Statement, that change does not affect downstream drought-response thresholds.
For context, if the Cape Fear River’s average flow was filled into an Olympic-sized swimming pool, Fuquay-Varina’s request would be less than a single tablespoon of water.
No. The Environmental Impact Statement found the proposed transfer would not affect water quality in the Cape Fear River Basin. PFAS remains an important regional water quality issue, but the study did not identify measurable changes in river conditions that would affect PFAS or other water quality concerns.
Alternatives
Yes. The Environmental Impact Statement examined 16 alternatives, including additional purchases from other utilities, conservation measures, wastewater return options, groundwater development, water reuse and construction of new infrastructure.
The selected approach provides a reliable long-term water supply while building on existing regional infrastructure. The study found it best balances long-term reliability, environmental impacts, engineering feasibility and cost.
Conservation is already part of Fuquay-Varina’s long-term water planning and is reflected in future demand projections. While conservation helps reduce demand, it cannot eliminate the need for additional long-term water supply capacity.
That option was evaluated during the environmental review. The study found it would require significant additional infrastructure and cost while providing limited environmental benefit because the selected approach already results in only minor changes to river flow.
The Review Process
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission.
State law directs the Commission to consider several factors before acting on an interbasin transfer request, including the need for the transfer, potential environmental impacts, reasonable alternatives, cumulative impacts and the public interest.
Yes. The review included public scoping meetings, three public hearings, an extended public comment period and opportunities for written comments. Those comments are part of the official record before the Environmental Management Commission.
Yes. The Commission may approve the request, deny it or approve it with conditions.
An approved Interbasin Transfer Certificate includes ongoing oversight and reporting requirements. Certificate holders must comply with conservation measures, drought management plans, monitoring requirements and any additional conditions established by the Environmental Management Commission.
Additional information, technical reports and supporting documents are available here.