A bold clash over Fuquay-Varina’s plan to siphon Cape Fear River water has sparked significant pushback from local leaders, officials, and advocacy groups across Southeastern North Carolina. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) says Fuquay-Varina is pursuing an Interbasin Transfer Certificate (IBT) to extract 6.17 million gallons per day (MGD) from the river for its own use, without plans to replace that volume.
Currently, Fuquay-Varina purchases wholesale water from Raleigh, Harnett County, and Johnston County. The town argues that this current supply will be insufficient to meet future demand, prompting the IBT proposal.
The idea to source water from the Cape Fear River dates back to 2020. A 2021 CFPUA letter notes three public meetings held in Cary, Chatham County, and Fayetteville. Summaries of public comments from those sessions indicated broad opposition to transferring water, with residents expressing a perception that a large amount of water was being diverted from the Cape Fear system.
The Cape Fear River serves as the drinking-water source for more than 500,000 North Carolinians. The 6.17 MGD request would equate to enough water to fill about 102,000 bathtubs daily, or roughly the volume of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., on an ongoing basis.
Several stakeholders have voiced concerns, including the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (FPWC) and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. FPWC acknowledged some openness to Fuquay-Varina’s plan but urged that water be returned to the system within a reasonable timeframe to protect other users. They warned that approval could trigger immediate drought restrictions in downstream communities due to reduced river flows, increase contaminant concentration, and force downstream areas to invest heavily in additional treatment capacity.
FPWC also noted that it delivers up to 8 million gallons of water daily to Fort Bragg, suggesting that Fuquay-Varina’s draw could complicate keeping the Army facility adequately supplied.
CFPUA reports more than 20 municipalities, utilities, businesses, and environmental groups have submitted opposition letters or formal comments. Some of the groups opposing the plan include the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, the Town of Wrightsville Beach, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, and the N.C. Conservation Network.
In the regulatory process, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has announced two additional public hearings to review the draft environmental impact statements. The sessions are scheduled for December 9 and December 11. On December 9, hearings will take place at 6 p.m. in the Archdale Building’s ground-floor hearing room in Raleigh, and at 6 p.m. at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro.
This controversy centers on balance: securing local water needs versus preserving a shared river system that serves hundreds of thousands of people. The debate invites a broader question—should individual towns have the latitude to draw substantial river water if it risks downstream supply and downstream treatment costs, or should regional planning enforce stricter limits to protect the entire watershed? What’s your stance on prioritizing local water security versus collective watershed stewardship, and how should such transfers be regulated to minimize harm to downstream communities?
