The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission and the Division of Water Resources of the Department of Environmental Quality will hold public hearings on December 4, 9, and 11 to gather feedback on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for Fuquay Varina’s interbasin transfer certificate application.
The first hearing is scheduled for December 4 at Fayetteville Technology Community College in Fayetteville. The second will take place on December 9 at the Archdale Building in Raleigh, with public parking available after 5:00 p.m. across North Salisbury Street from the building. More parking options can be found using the state’s interactive parking map. The third hearing is set for December 11 at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro. Registration for each event begins at 5:30 p.m., with hearings starting at 6:00 p.m.
Fuquay Varina, located in the Neuse River basin, seeks approval to transfer water from another watershed—the Cape Fear River basin—to meet projected future demand. Currently, Fuquay Varina relies on wholesale water purchases from neighboring systems including Raleigh, Harnett County, and Johnston County. However, projections indicate that by 2030, existing supplies will not meet demand.
The city’s preferred solution is to obtain water from the Tri-Rivers Water Treatment Plant in Sanford within the Cape Fear River basin. This would require an interbasin transfer (IBT) certificate allowing up to 6.17 million gallons per day to be moved from Cape Fear to Neuse by 2055.
The draft EIS provides a comprehensive analysis of potential environmental impacts in both source and receiving basins if the IBT certificate is granted. The document is available online through the DEQ website and via North Carolina’s Department of Administration Environmental Review Center. Related materials and Fuquay Varina’s IBT application can also be accessed online: Fuquay Varina Interbasin Transfer Application.
Access to the hydrologic model used for evaluating alternatives in the EIS is available upon request through DEQ’s website related to Fuquay Varina’s IBT application. Training sessions on accessing this virtual model are scheduled for December 2 and December 16; registration is required by emailing maya.holcomb@deq.nc.gov.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend these hearings and provide written or verbal comments about the draft EIS associated with Fuquay Varina’s IBT request. Microphone time may be limited depending on attendance.
Written comments may also be submitted by mail to Maya Holcomb, Division of Water Resources, 512 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC, 27604 or by email to maya.holcomb@deq.nc.gov. Comments must be dated or emailed before February 1, 2026.
Those needing interpretation services at any hearing should contact organizers before November 14.
