Southern Pines reviews water capacity as county seeks long‑term supply; council keeps talks open

Southern Pines Town staff on Tuesday walked the Town Council through the limits and opportunities of the town's water system as Moore County explores options to secure more wholesale supply.

Town Manager and engineering staff said the town's current withdrawal permit from Drowning Creek allows up to 8 million gallons per day (gpd) under standard flow conditions, with higher permitted draw points tied to creek flow. Plant infrastructure can treat roughly 11 million gpd on the ground, and raw water storage now totals about 160 million gallons, the managers said — a combination they said positions the town with spare capacity for the foreseeable future.

"We are permitted to withdraw 8,000,000 gallons per day as long as the creek is flowing at 39 cubic feet per second," the Town Manager said. He added that when flow is higher the permit permits higher withdrawal (noting thresholds used by DEQ). Staff reported that finished‑water storage totals about 7.5–8.5 million gallons, equal to roughly two days' supply at current average demand.

The town currently has wholesale or emergency contracts that could deliver up to 1,675,000 gpd to outside customers, staff said. Moore County commissioned a study that outlined a long‑term need of up to 6,000,000 gpd countywide; the study modeled scenarios that included additional purchases from Southern Pines.

Council members asked how a new downstream intake or an increase in the town's permit would affect local capacity and residents. Staff said DEQ told them the town's existing intake would not have to be removed if a second intake were permitted downstream and that the second intake's permitted yield would be determined by a river study the county would need to undertake.

Town staff and the town attorney flagged several contract issues that a future agreement would need to cover, including ownership and operation of any second intake, priority access during droughts, annexation or ETJ considerations, and non‑compete language to prevent immediate resale of water that would undermine the town's retail clients.

No contract was proposed or approved Tuesday. The council asked staff to keep channels open with the county, to return with concrete options and draft contract language if Moore County expresses firm interest, and to bring back analysis of how any partner arrangement would affect Southern Pines' capital and operating needs.

If the parties pursued a larger arrangement, staff said, the earliest a detailed agreement could be hammered out would be months (roughly six to 12 months) and actual permitting and construction could take several years depending on the scope. DEQ staff emphasized that permitting specifics depend on stream flows at potential intake sites and that the town's current water system and reservoir make it well positioned for continued local service while negotiations proceed.

Council members emphasized that any decision to sell additional water would be a policy decision for the council and would require a formal contract and public review. They asked staff to return when there are specific proposals and numbers to evaluate.