North Carolina’s ongoing drought has drained reservoirs and hit crops across the state. Durham now has less than 80 days of easily accessible water. As residents adhere to water restrictions, the city — and other municipalities across the Triangle — is working to expand its water storage in upcoming years.
The relentless drought highlighted a need for more water storage across the Triangle, one of the quickest-growing areas in the nation. Climate change has made droughts become more frequent, lengthier, and increasingly severe, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That means that as the Triangle’s water demand continues to grow with its population, so will the chance of future water emergencies.
Raleigh Water’s website states the system sells water to roughly 600,000 people in Raleigh and surrounding municipalities, including Wendell, Garner, and Knightdale. The system is also temporarily selling water to Franklin County, Johnston County, and Fuquay Varina to support those regions as they expand their own water systems…