Catawba Riverkeeper calls Charlotte Water request for river water ‘irresponsible’

The Catawba Riverkeeper says Charlotte needs to explore all its options before pulling more water from the river that won’t flow back in.

Charlotte Water currently transfers 33 million gallons from the Catawba River per day. Now, they want to nearly double that to keep up with growth in the city.

But the Riverkeeper told Channel 9′s Tina Terry the utility’s request is “irresponsible.” Brandon Jones said rather than just rubber stamping the request, every alternative should be explored.

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“Everybody’s concerned, right? The headline is ‘Charlotte’s taking your water,’” Jones said. “So that is something that concerns both upstream and downstream users. Everybody wants to make sure there’s enough for them.”

Neighboring communities have heard about Charlotte Water’s request. Officials say once the water is used, the wastewater would naturally flow from eastern Mecklenburg County into another river.

At a meeting Monday night, Jones called the plan “irresponsible” and said Charlotte should consider every alternative.

“There’s going to be a higher demand for water,” he said. “It’s getting hotter, more will evaporate. We’re getting fewer storms that are larger. All of that is going to play into the future. We have to start planning for that now.”

Jones said despite the cost, Charlotte Water should investigate ways to move that water back into the Catawba River, or ways to compensate the communities that would lose that water.

“We say for every million gallons you transfer over, you put a million dollars into this fund,” Jones said.

Jones said that money could help pay for something called “groundwater recharging” that could increase water resources in the area.

In a statement Tuesday, Charlotte Water said it was glad to receive comments from the public and the Riverkeeper. It is still taking comments on its website through Aug. 30.

Read Charlotte Water’s full statement below:

“Charlotte Water is glad to see the turnout at the Rock Hill meeting, and all seven meetings, including receiving comments from the Riverkeeper. This stage of the IBT Modification process is about getting public input. All the comments we have received will be used to the inform the next stages of the process. The Catawba River is a shared resource for all the communities and residents that live along it. We value everyone’s feedback, and especially at this early stage.

“The IBT Modification process is a lengthy one – usually spanning 2-4 years. Charlotte Water is still receiving comments about what should be considered going forward through the website until August 30. Then the next steps for Charlotte Water include stakeholder workshops to further discuss actionable alternatives to an IBT modification and then move into the Environmental Impact Statement evaluation.”

(WATCH BELOW: Residents alarmed Charlotte Water wants 30M gallons daily from Catawba River)