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Local officials briefed on Charlotte27s interbasin transfer plan; coalition backs moratorium study
Summary
A regional coalition including McDowell County warned that large interbasin transfers (IBTs) from the Catawba River could harm upstream communities. The WPCOG executive director cited Charlotte Water27s current 33 million gallons/day certificate and House Bill 85027s two-year moratorium on large transfers; counties were urged to engage legislators and the UNC study.
A Western Piedmont Council of Governments official told the McDowell County Board of Commissioners that Charlotte Water27s existing interbasin-transfer certificate and proposed increases could have economic and environmental impacts for communities upstream in the Catawba River Basin.
The presenter explained that an interbasin transfer (IBT) permanently moves water out of one river basin and into another. He said Charlotte currently holds a 33 million gallons-per-day certificate and is requesting additional transfers; the presentation noted a potential Charlotte transfer scenario of up to 63 million gallons per day and said that would equate to service for about 300,000 additional residents in parts of Eastern Mecklenburg County.
The presenter cited drought-history data and argued that lower flows concentrate pollutants, raise treatment costs and can limit options for upstream utilities. He also stated Charlotte loses an estimated 19% of water to distribution-system losses and that alternatives such as returning treated wastewater to the source basin or building new raw-water sources are more expensive but feasible.
Officials described the Catawba River Coalition (Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba and McDowell counties) and recent state legislation, House Bill 850, which places a two-year moratorium on large IBT expansions exceeding 15 million gallons per day and directs the UNC collaboratory to study the approval process and recommend reforms.
Board members discussed continuing outreach to legislators and participating in the coalition27s advocacy and technical input to the UNC study. The presenter said the moratorium runs through March 2027 and the study is due in January 2027, creating a policy window for reform.
