The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) will hold a public hearing on Nov. 5 to hear public comment on a proposed rule change that would allow domestic wastewater discharges to zero-flow streams.
Public Hearing Details
When: 3:30 p.m., Nov. 5, 2025
Where: Ground Floor Hearing Room, Archdale Building, 512 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, N.C., 27604
Register: Sign-in and speaker registration will begin at 3 p.m.
The rule amendments are outlined in Session Law 2024-44 (s. 5.1). The state law requires the EMC, the rule-making body that oversees and adopts rules for several divisions of DEQ, including the Divisions of Air Quality, Land Resources, Waste Management and Water Resources, to adopt rules incorporating the amendments.
The amendment would allow for additional opportunities for growth in areas where the cost of piping wastewater to a higher flowing stream farther away is prohibitive, according to the regulatory impact analysis associated with the proposed rules change.
In addition to speaking at the hearing, the public can also submit comments by mail or email. Written comments must be received by DWR by Nov. 14. Please send mailed comments to Karen Higgins, DEQ-DWR Planning Section, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611, or by email to publiccomments@deq.nc.gov.
The text of the proposed rule amendment and the associated regulatory impact analysis can be found online.