The secretary of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission's commissioners suggested that the board and PWC staff reach out proactively to water issues in the region with state legislators.
Darsweil Rogers said state legislators throughout the Cape Fear region all the way to Wilmington need to be informed about problems facing the Cape Fear River.
“We just don’t know what the future holds other than the fact that the demand for water is going to be one of the great challenges, and then you have things like the pollution that we are also experiencing,” Rogers said at a meeting Wednesday morning. “We need to think through with the broader region how we protect ourselves.”
Last week, a Superior Court judge approved a settlement agreement over the interbasin transfer of water between Triangle-area and Fayetteville-area municipalities.
State Rep. Elmer Floyd, a Democrat who represents Cumberland County, attended the court decision. Floyd said in a PWC news release that he was very pleased with the settlement.
“It was a long time coming,” said Floyd.
Local officials deemed the decision a win for Fayetteville and other municipalities south of Fayetteville that rely on the Cape Fear River for drinking water.
Wade Fowler, chairman of the PWC commissioners, said as the Triangle region continues to grow, the demand for water will continue to be an issue.
Fowler and Rogers expressed concerns that Triangle-area municipalities may again try to use the river’s water without returning it to the basin.
Rogers also said state representatives need to be aware of pollution issues such as GenX in the river. State officials have been investigating GenX’s presence in the river since June.
Staff writer Monica Vendituoli can be reached at mvendituoli@fayobserver.com or 486-3596.