Sep 2

Sep 2 Drinking water is on tap for public hearing

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has announced a comment period and an upcoming public hearing for the proposed surface water reclassification of portions of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers and associated tributaries in Rowan, Davie, and Davidson Counties (Yadkin Pee-Dee River Basin).

The goal is to reclasify to Class Water Supply-IV (WS-IV) Critical or Protected Area (CA or PA) or to Class WS-V. Salisbury-Rowan Utilities has requested this reclassification in order to relocate their existing pump station and raw water intake in the Yadkin River including the upper portion of High Rock Lake below normal operating level.

Yadkin Valley Riverkeeper Executive Director Edgar Miller says that the request could have a positive environmental impact for Davidson County. "We support reclassifying the river to ensure it meets the requirements for drinking water and provides additional protection.".

The public hearing and comment period are being held in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (the Clean Water Act) that requires states to conduct a triennial review, which includes an assessment and revision of the designated uses of water classifications) and associated water quality criteria/standards.

The date, time, and location of the public hearing are as follows:

Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s North Campus in Room 101, Building 106. The college is located at 1333 South Jake Alexander Blvd. in Salisbury.

The hearing announcement, along with the regulatory impact analysis and other information for this proposed reclassification, is also located online at https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/public-notices-hearings.

The following waters are proposed for amendment to either Class Water Supply-IV (WS-IV) Critical or Protected Area (CA or PA) or Class Water Supply-V (WS-V):

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.

The affected surface waters are in Rowan, Davie, and Davidson Counties.

SRU plans to relocate their existing pump station and raw water intake approximately 2,100 feet downstream of the current intake location, below the confluence of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers and approximately 125 feet downstream of the confluence with Deals Creek. The existing intake draws water from the Yadkin River; therefore, a CA and PA have been established and presently exist along the Yadkin River and its tributaries. The proposed intake would draw water from a location further downstream which would encompass flows from not only the Yadkin River and its tributaries, but also the South Yadkin River, Deals Creek, and associated tributaries.

Therefore, this reclassification will result in changes to the current CA and PA. Both the current and proposed intake locations are within the boundary of High Rock Lake. This proposed reclassification will remove the current CA and establish a new CA 0.5 miles linearly upstream and draining to the new intake. In addition, this reclassification will expand the current PA to also include the lands and waters from the South Yadkin River, Deals Creek, and associated tributaries extending approximately ten miles upstream from the new intake.

A Use and Value Demonstration (UVD) study, also known as a Use Attainability Study (UAS), is a water quality investigation to evaluate and measure the physical and chemical composition of the waters proposed to be reclassified to ensure that they can attain the rule criteria for water supply use. The study included the additional waters to be reclassified as water supply and concluded that they met the WS-IV classification requirements and are appropriate to be reclassified to water supply waters.

For the waters to be reclassified to Class WS-IV CA or PA, more stringent land development requirements will apply. However, these new density and setback rules only apply to new development projects that require an Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan. In addition, upon reclassification to the more protective CA classification, portions of these watershed areas will be subject to additional wastewater discharge and land use requirements. No new industrial wastewater discharges, no new landfills, and no land application sites are planned or anticipated in the proposed CA or PA. For the waters that are to be reclassified to Class WS-V, the existing more stringent land development requirements will no longer apply.

However, water quality standards are the same for WS-IV waters and Class WS-V waters. Class WS-IV and Class WS-V requirements are available online at https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/planning/classification-standards/rules.

Lastly, a regulatory impact analysis (RIA) for this proposal, which has been approved by OSBM, shows a one-time cost of $2,000 to the state associated with program administration and technical assistance upon reclassification, and a one-time shared cost of approximately $7,050 to Rowan, Davie, and Davidson Counties to amend their Unified Development Ordinances and complete the associated rezoning.

The public hearing and comment period are to be held in accordance with the federal Clean Water Act that requires States, at least every three years, to review and revise water quality standards. These standards are provided in existing rules NCAC 15A 02B .0100 and .0201 through .0228. The process is called the Triennial Review and includes an assessment and revision of the designated uses of waters (classifications) and the water quality criteria (standards), which are based on the designated uses. More specifically, this public hearing and comment period are to address the potential assignment of WS-IV CA, WS-IV PA, and WS-V classifications to portions of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers and associated tributaries for the purpose of use as a public water supply. This proposal will result in changing the water quality standards for waters within the above-mentioned areas.

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS

You may attend the hearing and provide verbal comments that specifically address the proposed reclassification and its RIA for portions of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers and associated tributaries. The Hearing Officer may limit the length of time that you speak at the hearing, if necessary, so that all those who wish to speak may have an opportunity to do so. In addition, written comments addressing the proposed reclassification and RIA for portions of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers and associated tributaries will be accepted until October 14, 2024.

All persons interested and potentially affected by the proposal are encouraged to read this announcement and make comments on the proposal. The proposed effective date for this proposed reclassification is March 1, 2025. Written comments on the proposed reclassification and RIA for portions of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers and associated tributaries may be submitted to Elizabeth Ward Liebig of the Division of Water Resources Planning Section at the postal address or e-mail address listed below.

This announcement and additional information regarding the waters proposed to be reclassified are located online at https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/public-notices-hearings. In the case of inclement weather on the day of the scheduled public hearing, please contact the telephone number below for a recorded message regarding any changes to the location, date, or time of the hearing. Further explanations and details on reclassifications may be obtained by writing or calling: