IMPORTANT!!! Fuquay-Varina is Asking the State of North Carolina for 6.17 Gallons of Water a day from the Cape Fear River Basin – Public Hearing December 4

Information below from Jami McLaughlin (Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce)

What is happening? The Town of Fuquay-Varina is seeking approval for an Interbasin Transfer (IBT) Certificate from the State of North Carolina.   Why is Fuquay-Varina making this request? As background, Fuquay-Varina currently depends on purchasing water from neighboring systems, but those supplies are expected to fall short as early as 2030. Their preferred alternative is to take water from the Tri-Rivers Water Treatment Plant located on the Cape Fear River Basin upstream of PWC.  Their request asks for transferring 6.17 million gallons per day from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse River Basin.   Why does this matter to PWC and its customers? Any transfer request that does not return the water back to the Cape Fear River Basin has potential long-term effects to anyone downstream of the request, including PWC customers. Long-term effects include future availability of water to meet our community’s needs and sustainability of water resources in our basin.   What is PWC doing? PWC is advocating that any IBT permit should require returning the water to the Cape Fear River Basin as not to impact over half a million North Carolina residents who depend on this as their primary water source. PWC is also actively engaging with all local government officials who represent Cumberland County to ask for their collective opposition to this request, including letters, resolutions, and public testimony.   What can you do to help? PWC customers should be concerned about how this affects our source for drinking water and your voice needs to be heard. We are encouraging all community leaders, elected officials and customers to attend a public hearing at FTCC on Dec. 4 (details below).   NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Host: North Carolina Environmental Management Commission Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025 Sign-in begins: 5:30 p.m. Meeting starts: 6:00 p.m. Location: Fayetteville Technical Community College / Cumberland Hall Auditorium (2220 Hull Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303)   The Bottom Line If granted, this would change the entirety of the Cape Fear River Basin and could impact downstream communities for generations to come. It will impact business owners, local government, residents, schools, small businesses, and anyone else who lives, works, or plays in Cumberland County.    We must #SaveOurWater For More Information