Cities, N.C. to confer on Neuse basin water

Cities from Durham and Raleigh to Kinston and Goldsboro will work with state water planners to develop a long-range model of water use from the Neuse River basin.

John Morris, director of the state Division of Water Resources, which will lead the project, said Monday plans by individual local governments to withdraw more water may look fine in isolation, but they don't take into account withdrawals in other parts of the basin that affect water supplies farther downstream.

"With increasing population and water use, we need to consider the cumulative impact of all those plans on the basin to make sure it's sustainable," Morris said. "The model will show you what will happen decade by decade as water use increases."

The state agency is preparing overviews for most of North Carolina's major river basins. State agencies can refer to the models when making regulatory decisions about proposed water withdrawals and planning for increased water use due to growth.

Each plan will be based on 50-year water use projections by large users, including towns and private industries. It will include a detailed hydrologic model that tracks all water withdrawals, return of treated wastewater to the basin and reservoir operating rules.

"It's not a plan that tells everyone what to do," Morris said. "It's more a projection of water needs. ... This would give us very early warning if we're beginning to press against the sustainable limits of a given river basin."

The project is expected to take about two years to complete.