Charlotte Water has begun the yearslong process of updating a certificate to transfer more water from the Catawba River Basin to the Rocky River Basin. At a meeting this week in Rock Hill, residents, local officials and one environmental group said they’re worried about river flow, environmental impacts and future drought conditions.
Water is transferred from the Catawba River to the Rocky River basin when Charlotte Water provides water to customers living in eastern Mecklenburg County.
Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones raised concerns over limited water resources, development, and the impacts the transfer request could have on downstream species, including the federally endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel. The riverkeeper recommended prioritizing water conservation measures over increasing the water transfer cap.
In 2002, a multiyear drought threatened to shut down some businesses along the Catawba. Fort Mill Mayor Guynn Savage voiced concern about what a similar drought could mean for the community in the future.
“We were only hours away from industries along the Catawba in this region having to shut down,” Savage said. “You can live without electricity, you can live without a lot of things, but you can’t live without water.”
Nearly three-quarters of South Carolina is currently experiencing a drought, including York County, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which the Catawba flows through. Savage’s remarks foreshadowed future opposition that the utility may encounter should it pursue a new interbasin transfer certificate.
“Thank you for your time here, but I’m afraid we’ll be together for the next three years or so,” Savage said.
Charlotte Water will meet with local governments, communities, and organizations through the end of the year before state regulators develop an environmental impact statement by 2027.
