The Southern Pines Town Council met on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to review a potential regional partnership that would expand bulk water sales to Moore County.
Town Engineer James Michel presented findings from multi-page county studies comparing regional supply options. The analysis identified Southern Pines as the most cost-effective water source for the county, even outperforming alternative proposals involving Crystal Lake and the Deep River.
“Southern Pines presents the most cost-effective option to the county,” Michel said, adding that existing infrastructure gives the town a distinct baseline advantage over projects that would require building new facilities from scratch.
Under current agreements, Southern Pines supplies Moore County with 1 million gallons per day. The proposed terms outline a multi-stage expansion. The county’s allocation would increase to 2 million gallons per day following a planned expansion of the town’s water treatment plant to an 11-million-gallon-per-day capacity. Allocation would reach 3 million gallons per day once crews construct a new downstream intake on Drowning Creek. A long-term goal of 6 million gallons per day would require a second major plant expansion.
Michel confirmed that the town holds a construction permit for roughly $10 million in plant improvements. However, official negotiations at a later time will determine the exact financial split between entities.
Council members pressed officials on drought protection, customer rate protection, and the underlying drivers of county demand.
LKC consultant Adam Kiker addressed the growth factors, explaining that customer projections show a 5.5 million-gallon-per-day supply gap across the county’s 30-year planning horizon.
Kiker noted that the growth stems primarily from residential and light commercial expansion in areas like Pinehurst, Seven Lakes, Vass, and Highland Hills, rather than heavy industrial users.
Addressing drought concerns, Michel and Kiker added that moving the water intake further downstream on Drowning Creek increases raw water availability, captures broader drainage basins, and integrates constant flows from upstream treatment plants. Michel referenced that standard bulk contracts require regional partners to adopt identical water restrictions whenever Southern Pines institutes conservation measures.
The draft document under review represents a non-binding term sheet intended to guide ongoing discussions rather than a final contract. Town staff will address the council’s feedback and refine the terms before returning with an updated proposal.
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Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Written by Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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