The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources will hold a public hearing on Oct. 10 in Salisbury as part of a comment period on a proposal to reclassify waters in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
In addition to accepting comments at the public hearing, written comments will also be accepted until Oct. 14.
The division is accepting public comment on a proposal to reclassify waters in Rowan, Davie and Davidson counties to Water Supply-IV (WS-IV) Critical or Protected Area (CA or PA) or WS-V waters, which are surface waters protected as water supplies for drinking, culinary purposes or food processing.
Specifically, the proposed reclassification would impact the following waters: portions of the Yadkin River, South Yadkin River, Deals Creek, Second Creek, Beaverdam Creek, Walnut Branch, Setman Branch, Fourth Creek, Peeler Creek, Cody Creek, Dutchman Creek, Humpy Creek and associated tributaries.
Salisbury-Rowan Utilities requested the reclassification in connection with a plan to relocate their existing pump station and raw water intake to a location 2,100 feet downstream in the Yadkin River. Relocating the intake is expected to allow the facility to maintain raw water supply capabilities during and following floods.
The proposed intake would draw water from a location further downstream than the current intake, so the intake will draw from not only the Yadkin River but also the South Yadkin River, Deals Creek and associated tributaries. The proposed reclassification of this waterways would also result in changes to the current critical and protected areas.
If reclassified, restrictions in the critical and protected area would apply for sites that land apply sludge and residuals, new landfills, development density, and industrial process wastewater discharges. Farming practices are not expected to be impacted, and no new industrial wastewater discharges or landfills are planned or anticipated in the proposed redrawn critical area. A regulatory impact analysis was certified by the Office of State Management and Budget on June 11.
Public comments will be accepted at the hearing on the proposed reclassification and the associated regulatory impact analysis.
Public Hearing Details
Date: 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024
Location: Rowan-Cabarrus Community College North Campus, Building 106, Room 101 Address: 1333 Jake Alexander Blvd S., Salisbury, NC 28146
Comments on the proposed reclassification may be mailed to: Elizabeth Ward Liebig, DEQ-Division of Water Resources, Planning Section, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611. Public comments may also be submitted by email to: elizabeth.liebig@deq.nc.gov.
If you need this information in another language, call 919-707-8604 or email laura.oleniacz@deq.nc.gov.
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