Wake County unveils 50-year One Water plan as population set to double

Wake County officials have adopted a 50-year One Water plan aimed at coordinating drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and groundwater protection to meet demand as the county’s population is projected to roughly double by 2070. County leaders say the plan reframes water management across jurisdictions and ties water planning directly to development and transportation decisions.

The plan was developed over a three-year process with roughly $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and input from community members, municipal partners and technical experts. Planners relied on data from private wells, municipal systems and community water systems while scientists evaluated the resiliency of groundwater, surface water, stormwater and wastewater systems under projected growth and weather conditions. Consultants included Tetra Tech, Hazen & Sawyer and Research Triangle Institute, and the county describes the work as a “living document.”

County commissioners voted unanimously on Feb. 2 to adopt the plan. The document lays out priorities to protect groundwater, reduce flood risks, prepare for climate impacts, and foster cross-jurisdictional collaboration. It also calls for updated development practices, conservation strategies, long-term infrastructure investments and expanded use of green infrastructure such as wetlands and rain gardens to slow runoff and relieve pressure on drainage systems.

The scale of the challenge is framed in local metrics: Wake County’s population is increasing by roughly 25,000 people per year - about 60 new residents a day - and Raleigh alone supplies roughly 52 million gallons of clean drinking water to households each day, a volume county materials note is equivalent to nearly 79 Olympic-sized swimming pools. County planners point to fast-growing towns such as Wake Forest, Rolesville, Zebulon and Wendell as places where the plan’s recommendations are likely to reshape development standards, flood mitigation and capital planning. Groundwater protection is highlighted as especially important in eastern Wake County, where many residents rely on private wells.

Nancy Daly framed the change in approach as a move away from siloed water management. Nancy Daly, watershed management program manager for Wake County, said, “We know the Triangle's a great place to live. We want to make sure we have the water we need to support (residents) and we don't want to wait for a crisis.” Daly added that water systems are interconnected: “So we think about drinking water, separate from wastewater, separate from stormwater. In reality, it's all connected. When we think of managing our water resources, we really need to be thinking about all forms of water.” In remarks to county leaders, Daly, identified in county materials as the county’s Water Program Resource Manager, said the plan places Wake County “among a group of leaders across the country that recognize that water is a limited resource” and called for working across jurisdictional boundaries to support long-term resiliency.

For residents, the plan signals potential changes to how new development is permitted and how municipalities prioritize stormwater and groundwater projects. Because the One Water plan is designed to be updated, its adoption creates a policy framework that will require follow-through: specific capital projects, regulatory changes and municipal commitments will determine how quickly neighborhoods and private-well communities see tangible benefits. The next phase for county officials and town governments will be translating the plan’s strategies into budgets, timelines and enforceable standards that keep showers running and reduce flood risk as Wake County grows.