Charlotte Water recently launched a multi-year process to increase its water transfers from the Catawba River basin to the Rocky River basin. If granted, it would significantly reduce the water flow coming out of Lake Wylie and could reignite the 2007 SC/NC Water War.
Last year, Charlotte Water filed an initial notice with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to modify its interbasin transfer (IBT) certificate, which governs how much water the utility can divert from one river basin to another. The current certificate, issued in 2002, allows up to 33 million gallons per day to be transferred from the Catawba River basin to other basins.
The transfer involves water drawn from Lake Norman and Mountain Island Lake—both in the Catawba basin—processed for drinking, then discharged as wastewater into the Rocky River basin.
Any requested changes would require public meetings, environmental impact studies, and a review of alternative solutions before Charlotte can submit an official application. The existing IBT certificate expires in 2028.
This proposal echoes a 2007 conflict that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, when South Carolina sued North Carolina after the state approved an additional 10 million gallon per day transfer for Charlotte suburbs without notifying downstream users or assessing environmental risks. The high-profile legal battle cost South Carolina more than $3 million and led to stricter oversight rules, including cross-border notification and mandatory environmental reviews.
South Carolina since passed a law requiring permits for large water withdrawals, giving state officials more tools to monitor and respond to future IBT requests.
As Charlotte begins the process to expand its water transfer rights, we here at Palmetto Voice will do everything we can to prevent Charlotte from taking more of our water.