Growing Water Demand: A Concern for Piedmont and Mountain Regions

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Allenstein, Karen
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of City and Regional Planning

Abstract

Many regions in North Carolina have experienced tremendous increases in population growth and industrial development in the past decade. As shown in Figure 1, latest projections by the Bureau of Economic Development point to a continuation of this growth pattern, with the Piedmont and Mountain regions of the state being no exception to this trend (from Heath, Ralph C, Better Utilization of Ground Water in the Piedmont and Mountain Regions of the Southeast, 1978). Census records show that the populations of the Piedmont and Mountain regions are increasing at a rate of a little over one percent per year with an anticipated doubling of the population by the year 2020. One of the many implications of this dramatic growth pattern is the apparent depletion of municipalities' current water supplies. As seen in Figure 2, most public water supplies in the regions are from surface water sources; specifically, streams, lakes and reservoirs. To keep pace with demand, new surface water sources will have to be developed on a large scale. Conservative estimates for the region as a whole indicate a three-fold increase in all water uses over the next forty years. Obviously, this necessitates extensive development of additional sources.

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