Without its two large drinking water reservoirs, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake, the Triangle as we know it today could not exist. Hundreds of thousands of people and the places where they work, go to school and shop depend on the lakes for drinking water. Keeping those lakes clean – or clean enough that water treatment is not prohibitively expensive – is a core public responsibility.

Yes, it grates on Wake County that upstream pollution sources are big problems for the lakes. But state rules will help standardize and strengthen water quality protections throughout the two watersheds. Meanwhile, keeping further watershed development in Wake to a minimum will help prevent current pollution levels from becoming that much worse.

The Wake Board of Commissioners properly is moving to conform the county’s rules with those the state is expected to adopt. Concerns about how developers here might be placed at a disadvantage, as expressed by commissioner Tony Gurley, are shortsighted. Careful protection of the lakes is crucial to ensuring Wake’s long-term economic health.