Opposition grows against Fuquay-Varina plan to draw water from Cape Fear River

CAPE FEAR, NC (WWAY) — A public relations and political campaign is underway opposing the town of Fuquay-Varina’s request for an interbasin transfer certificate that would allow it to withdraw millions of gallons of water from the Cape Fear River.

Opponents have increased their concerns through online messaging and formal appeals, arguing the proposal could strain a key drinking water source for southeastern North Carolina communities.

“Today, this vital resource is under threat from growing water-hungry communities upstream,” Bill Saffo, mayor of Wilmington, says in a February advertisement urging residents to speak out against the transfer.

In March, state Sens. Michael Lee, Bill Rabon, and Brent Jackson, along with other lawmakers, sent a letter to the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission opposing the request. The letter warns that the proposal could threaten the drinking water supply of nearly 1 million people who rely on the river.

Despite opposition, there is support for helping upstream communities, as long as the water is returned to the basin, according to Kenneth Waldroup, executive director of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority.

“We are asking decision makers in Raleigh to approve the water use in Fuquay Varina but require them to return that water when they are finished with it,” Waldroup said. “So, borrow and return, instead of permanent removal.”

The opposition campaign follows a series of resolutions passed in recent months by local governments, including New Hanover County and Brunswick County, as well as the Wilmington City Council, formally objecting to the proposal.

State officials are reviewing thousands of public comments on the request and are expected to finish a report by late summer.