NC reservoir’s cleanup could cost $1.5 billion

RALEIGH, N.C. — Pollution threatening the water supply for one of North Carolina’s largest metropolitan areas could cost $1.5 billion to clean.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Thursday the estimate comes from an analysis by the state Division of Water Quality. The agency figures the cleanup would cost an average of about $60 million every year for 25 years.

The 12,000-acre reservoir has collected high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous that have poured in from surrounding fields and paved surfaces.

Raleigh gets almost all its drinking water from the lake.

Most of the runoff comes from Durham County. Pollutants also flow into the lake from streams and rivers in Orange, Person, and Granville counties.

Information from: The News & Observer

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