Yadkin water for Yadkin needs.
Union County, NC
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
From 2004 to 2011,
Union County conducted detailed studies to understand future water demand and the potential impacts and feasibility of a water supply project.
From those studies, the project team developed 12 alternatives for the County’s water future.
Beginning in 2013,
the project underwent a comprehensive environmental study, and
in 2015,
the Final Environmental Impact Statement was published.
The project team identified Alternative 1A – the Lake Tillery Interbasin Transfer (IBT) Alternative – as the best option because it matched or outperformed the other alternatives across many criteria.
From 2015 to 2017,
Union County worked to secure an IBT Certificate from the State of North Carolina.
The certificate allows the County to transfer water from the Yadkin River Subbasin, which is outside of its boundaries, into the Rocky River Subbasin.
From 2016 to 2020,
the project team held a series of public meetings to share information about the project with citizens.
You can view the informational materials from and online versions of each meeting on the Events page.
During this time, the team also determined an initial pipeline route and created preliminary designs for the water intake, pump station and water treatment plant.
In July 2020,
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) completed its final review of the project’s permit to withdraw water from Lake Tillery. With FERC’s approval, Duke Energy can issue an easement to the project to allow water intake construction to begin.
Currently,
construction activities are underway, and project completion is anticipated in 2023. Visit the Construction page for more details and progress updates.
You can view a timeline of the project’s history and next steps on the Project History page .
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Union County and the Town of Norwood are working to ensure a long-term, sustainable water supply for current and future residents in the Yadkin River Basin. The Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project’s infrastructure includes:
Through existing infrastructure, the Town of Norwood’s water supply system will connect directly to the new water intake and pump station, giving the Town access to project water.
Stanly County will also be able to access water from the project by constructing their own pipelines to deliver the water from the lake to their treatment plants and customers.
The approximately $300 million investment will provide benefits to all three jurisdictions:
- Union County will secure a long-term, sustainable water supply for its Yadkin River Basin residents’ existing and future needs.
- The Town of Norwood will be able to access four times the amount of water its current facilities provide. The new, higher-capacity water intake facility and pump station will replace WWII-era infrastructure that has not received major renovations since the 1980s. The project also provides the Town of Norwood with a new monthly revenue stream.
- Stanly County will have access to 1.5 million gallons of water per day at project completion and up to 2 million gallons per day beginning in 2033. The project will also provide Stanly County with an ongoing revenue stream.
WHY IS THE YRWSP NECESSARY?
The Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project will provide:
Union County is growing, and it needs a long-term, sustainable supply of water to meet current and future needs.
Union County is not located on a natural source of water. As a result, it has to transport water from lakes and rivers in surrounding counties to serve its residents.
Union County currently receives about 80 percent of its water from the Catawba River Water Supply Project (CRWSP), a joint venture between Union County and Lancaster County Water and Sewer District in South Carolina. The CRWSP includes a water treatment plant located on the Catawba River between Lake Wylie and Fishing Creek Reservoir.
The remaining 20 percent of Union County’s water supply comes from a water purchase agreement with Anson County, NC. Anson County draws its water from Blewett Falls Lake.
Union County must secure a sustainable source of water for residents in its Yadkin River Basin service area to provide long-term water security and support economic vitality.
Union County is Growing
The Town of Norwood currently draws water from Lake Tillery to serve around 1,600 customers. To satisfy its growing demand for water, Norwood needs to improve its WWII-era water intake and pump station. By partnering with Union County, Norwood will be able to access additional water through the new infrastructure provided by the project.
Project Overview
Hover over the stars in the map below to learn more about the Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project.
STANLY COUNTY
Stanly County will be able to access 1.5 million gallons of water per day from the Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project upon completion and up to 2 million gallons per day beginning in 2033. The project will also provide Stanly County with an ongoing revenue stream.
UNION COUNTY
Union County is growing! The Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, sustainable supply of water for customers in its Yadkin River Basin service area.
WATER TREATMENT PLANT
In July 2018, Union County acquired property for a new water treatment plant. Once completed, the water treatment plant will be capable of providing 12 million gallons of clean water per day to thousands of customers in Union County's Yadkin River Basin service area when it begins to operate.
Click the star for facility infoLAKE TILLERY
Lake Tillery, constructed in the 1920s as a hydroelectric power reservoir, holds an average of 43.2 billion gallons of water. By 2050, the Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project will draw up to 18.3 million gallons of water per day from the lake to support current and future needs in the region. In other words, if the Lake were scaled down to the size of a 20-gallon fish tank, the Project's water use would be similar to just two tablespoons per day.