Bill > S605

This bill makes two primary changes to water management regulations in North Carolina. First, it eliminates the separate subbasin designations for the Haw River, Deep River, and Contentnea Creek, instead incorporating them into their respective major river basins (Cape Fear and Neuse River basins). The bill aims to provide more flexibility for water transfers within these basins, which will support water infrastructure planning, economic development, and drought resilience. The legislative findings emphasize that existing watershed management systems will help mitigate potential environmental impacts from these intrabasin transfers. Second, the bill modifies the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) transport factor calculation for wastewater discharge permits in the Neuse River Basin, removing the previous limitation that only applied to local governments with fewer than 15,000 connections. The bill also allows the Department of Environmental Quality to begin modeling to determine new transport zones and delivery factors for the Neuse River Basin, with the potential for the Environmental Management Commission to adopt new rules based on this modeling. The changes are designed to streamline regulatory processes and provide more adaptable water management strategies.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S605