The Legislative Research Commission was directed by Senate Resolution875 of the 1969 General Assembly to study and report to the 1971 GeneralAssembly on the need for legislation "concerning local and regional watersupplies (including sources of water, and organization and administration ofwater systems)." Pursuant to said Resolution a report was prepared andadopted by the Legislative Research Commission in 1970 concerning local andregional water supplies. In this report the Legislative Research Commissionmade the following findings concerning the need for planning and developingregional water supply systems in order to provide adequate supplies of highquality water to the citizens of North Carolina, of which the General Assemblyhereby takes cognizance:
(1) The existing pattern of public water supply development inNorth Carolina is dominated by many small systems serving few customers. Of the1,782 public water systems of record on July 1, 1970, according to Departmentof Health and Human Services statistics, over eighty percent (80%) were servingless than 1,000 people each. These small systems are often underfinanced,inadequately designed and maintained, difficult to coordinate with nearbyregional systems, and generally inferior to systems serving larger communitiesas regards adequacy of source, facilities and quality. The situation which hasdeveloped reflects a need for better planning at both State and local levels.
(2) The State's population balance is steadily changing.Sparsely populated counties are losing residents to the more densely populatedcounties, while the State's total population is increasing. As this trendcontinues, small towns and communities will find it increasingly difficult tobuild and maintain public water supply systems. Also, as urban centers expand,and embrace relatively large geographical areas, economic factors will dictatethat regional water systems be developed to serve these centers and to meet thedemands of commercial and industrial development. It is estimated thatcountywide or regional water systems are needed now by 50 counties.
(3) If the future public water supply needs of the State are tobe met, a change in the existing pattern of public water supply development andmanagement must be undertaken. Regional planning and development is animmediate need. The creation of countywide or regional water supplies, withadequate interconnections, is necessary in order to provide an adequate supplyof high quality water to the State's citizens, to make supplies less vulnerableto recurring drought conditions, and to have systems large enough to justifythe costs of adequate facilities and of proper operation and maintenance.
(4) The State should provide a framework for comprehensiveplanning of regional water supply systems, and for the orderly coordination oflocal actions, so as to make the most efficient use of available waterresources and economies of scale for construction, operation and maintenance.The State should also provide financial assistance to local governments andregional authorities in order to assist with the cost of developingcomprehensive regional plans, and countywide plans compatible with a regionalsystem. (1971, c. 892, s.1; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; 1997‑443, s. 11A.118(a).)
The Legislative Research Commission was directed by Senate Resolution875 of the 1969 General Assembly to study and report to the 1971 GeneralAssembly on the need for legislation "concerning local and regional watersupplies (including sources of water, and organization and administration ofwater systems)." Pursuant to said Resolution a report was prepared andadopted by the Legislative Research Commission in 1970 concerning local andregional water supplies. In this report the Legislative Research Commissionmade the following findings concerning the need for planning and developingregional water supply systems in order to provide adequate supplies of highquality water to the citizens of North Carolina, of which the General Assemblyhereby takes cognizance:
(1) The existing pattern of public water supply development inNorth Carolina is dominated by many small systems serving few customers. Of the1,782 public water systems of record on July 1, 1970, according to Departmentof Health and Human Services statistics, over eighty percent (80%) were servingless than 1,000 people each. These small systems are often underfinanced,inadequately designed and maintained, difficult to coordinate with nearbyregional systems, and generally inferior to systems serving larger communitiesas regards adequacy of source, facilities and quality. The situation which hasdeveloped reflects a need for better planning at both State and local levels.
(2) The State's population balance is steadily changing.Sparsely populated counties are losing residents to the more densely populatedcounties, while the State's total population is increasing. As this trendcontinues, small towns and communities will find it increasingly difficult tobuild and maintain public water supply systems. Also, as urban centers expand,and embrace relatively large geographical areas, economic factors will dictatethat regional water systems be developed to serve these centers and to meet thedemands of commercial and industrial development. It is estimated thatcountywide or regional water systems are needed now by 50 counties.
(3) If the future public water supply needs of the State are tobe met, a change in the existing pattern of public water supply development andmanagement must be undertaken. Regional planning and development is animmediate need. The creation of countywide or regional water supplies, withadequate interconnections, is necessary in order to provide an adequate supplyof high quality water to the State's citizens, to make supplies less vulnerableto recurring drought conditions, and to have systems large enough to justifythe costs of adequate facilities and of proper operation and maintenance.
(4) The State should provide a framework for comprehensiveplanning of regional water supply systems, and for the orderly coordination oflocal actions, so as to make the most efficient use of available waterresources and economies of scale for construction, operation and maintenance.The State should also provide financial assistance to local governments andregional authorities in order to assist with the cost of developingcomprehensive regional plans, and countywide plans compatible with a regionalsystem. (1971, c. 892, s.1; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; 1997‑443, s. 11A.118(a).)
The Legislative Research Commission was directed by Senate Resolution875 of the 1969 General Assembly to study and report to the 1971 GeneralAssembly on the need for legislation "concerning local and regional watersupplies (including sources of water, and organization and administration ofwater systems)." Pursuant to said Resolution a report was prepared andadopted by the Legislative Research Commission in 1970 concerning local andregional water supplies. In this report the Legislative Research Commissionmade the following findings concerning the need for planning and developingregional water supply systems in order to provide adequate supplies of highquality water to the citizens of North Carolina, of which the General Assemblyhereby takes cognizance:
(1) The existing pattern of public water supply development inNorth Carolina is dominated by many small systems serving few customers. Of the1,782 public water systems of record on July 1, 1970, according to Departmentof Health and Human Services statistics, over eighty percent (80%) were servingless than 1,000 people each. These small systems are often underfinanced,inadequately designed and maintained, difficult to coordinate with nearbyregional systems, and generally inferior to systems serving larger communitiesas regards adequacy of source, facilities and quality. The situation which hasdeveloped reflects a need for better planning at both State and local levels.
(2) The State's population balance is steadily changing.Sparsely populated counties are losing residents to the more densely populatedcounties, while the State's total population is increasing. As this trendcontinues, small towns and communities will find it increasingly difficult tobuild and maintain public water supply systems. Also, as urban centers expand,and embrace relatively large geographical areas, economic factors will dictatethat regional water systems be developed to serve these centers and to meet thedemands of commercial and industrial development. It is estimated thatcountywide or regional water systems are needed now by 50 counties.
(3) If the future public water supply needs of the State are tobe met, a change in the existing pattern of public water supply development andmanagement must be undertaken. Regional planning and development is animmediate need. The creation of countywide or regional water supplies, withadequate interconnections, is necessary in order to provide an adequate supplyof high quality water to the State's citizens, to make supplies less vulnerableto recurring drought conditions, and to have systems large enough to justifythe costs of adequate facilities and of proper operation and maintenance.
(4) The State should provide a framework for comprehensiveplanning of regional water supply systems, and for the orderly coordination oflocal actions, so as to make the most efficient use of available waterresources and economies of scale for construction, operation and maintenance.The State should also provide financial assistance to local governments andregional authorities in order to assist with the cost of developingcomprehensive regional plans, and countywide plans compatible with a regionalsystem. (1971, c. 892, s.1; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; 1997‑443, s. 11A.118(a).)
