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To serve a local industry, Franklin also buys some water from Franklinton, which pulls water from small reservoirs on two small creeks, and Louisburg, which draws from the Tar River.

But several endangered species make it difficult to build a large reservoir along the Tar River. Farmers also depend on the river.

Water demand in Franklin County now is about 1.8 million gallons a day, according to the county's study. By 2030, it's will rise to an estimated 5.5 million to 6.5 million gallons a day, the study says.

The report makes a handful of recommendations to bulk up the city's water options, including buying more from Henderson and starting discussions about a regional water project with that city.

It also recommends that Franklin officials pull water from the Neuse at the former Burlington Mills plant. Nobody is using the water now, but 7 million gallons a day could be available from the source, the study says.

Building a water treatment plant and lines to deliver the water to Franklin County would cost about $23.4 million, not including the price to buy land or water rights.

There are other hurdles.

Most of Franklin County is in the Tar River basin, and an "inter-basin transfer" of water from the Neuse River basin could force strict state regulations. Franklin officials also would need Wake County to sign off on Franklin's plans to buy or lease any property in Wake.

Wake County Manager David Cooke said he plans to attend the meeting in Franklin on Tuesday to learn more about the options and perspective of Franklin leaders.

Still, he said, "it's hard for me to fathom why we would allow them to take water out of a river that we've tried to restrict the flow on, because there's not enough water behind the dam. That just doesn't seem like a practical, long-term solution for Franklin County or us."

But Franklin County needs water from somewhere.

"Anywhere you stick a straw," said Mendenhall, Franklin's public utilities director, "you're going to affect somebody."

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