This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Fourth Estate Fund.
In August 2024, the Cape Fear River at Lock and Dam 1 dropped to 711 million gallons per day—its lowest flow of the year. Just 39 miles downstream, Wilmington watched and waited. Now, a town 200 miles upriver wants to permanently remove another 6 million gallons daily from that same river, and Wilmington officials are asking what happens during the next drought.
Fuquay-Varina (pronounced FEW-kway vuh-REE-nuh, if you’re wondering), is a cute little town near Raleigh that is growing too quickly for its water supply. The town is landlocked. Even though they sit on two river basins, they don’t have access to their own water source. They must purchase water on temporary contracts from nearby towns that have access to water…