Wake County (NC) set to adopt 50-year “One Water” plan to guide growth, water supply, and flood resilience

As Wake County’s population and water demand rise, the long-range plan outlines how drinking water, stormwater, flooding, and land use will be coordinated without approving new projects.

Feb 02, 2026

Raleigh, NC, Feb. 1, 2026 — During tomorrow’s (2/2/26) Wake County Commissioners’ meeting, officials are poised to adopt the County’s first-ever One Water Plan (document), a long-range strategy designed to guide how water is managed as the county continues to grow and climate pressures increase over the coming decades.

The plan, which looks 50 years ahead, does not approve new construction projects or authorize spending. Instead, it establishes a countywide framework to coordinate drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, groundwater, flood management, and land-use planning across Wake County and its municipalities.

County officials describe the plan as a proactive effort to reduce future water shortages, flooding risks, and water-quality challenges as growth accelerates.

Why the plan was created

Wake County’s population is projected to grow from about 1.1 million residents today to more than 2 million by 2070, with overall water demand expected to more than double during that period.

At the same time, climate models point to higher temperatures, more intense rainfall, longer droughts, and increased flooding. County officials say these conditions place added strain on water infrastructure and natural systems.

County analysis included in the plan indicates that every municipal water system in Wake County is expected to require some form of expansion or treatment upgrade within the next 50 years under current growth assumptions.

What “One Water” means

The One Water approach treats all forms of water as interconnected, rather than managing drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and flooding separately.

Under this framework, stormwater and wastewater are viewed as part of the broader water system. Water planning is coordinated with development and transportation decisions, and solutions are evaluated based on multiple outcomes, including flood reduction, water quality, public health, and economic stability.

The Wake County plan builds on PLANWake (website), the county’s comprehensive growth plan, and follows similar One Water efforts adopted in other fast-growing regions.

What’s included in the plan

The One Water Plan organizes its recommendations into four focus areas.

The first centers on optimizing water supply, with strategies to protect groundwater, promote conservation and reuse, and plan future water supply needs in coordination with municipal utilities.

A second focus addresses water quality and hydrology, emphasizing green and nature-based infrastructure to reduce pollution, slow runoff, and improve watershed health.

The plan also calls for land conservation and preservation, highlighting the role undeveloped land and farmland play in absorbing floodwaters, recharging groundwater, and reducing long-term infrastructure costs.

The fourth focus area is flood resilience, with strategies intended to reduce flood risk through improved stormwater management, infrastructure planning, and protection of vulnerable areas.

Each focus area includes short-, medium-, and long-term strategies, along with identified partners and performance measures. A companion implementation document is intended to guide future coordination and track progress.

How growth and large projects are handled

The One Water Plan does not name or approve specific developments. Instead, it accounts for growth, including large employment centers, industrial uses, data centers, and major mixed-use projects, through population forecasts, land-use assumptions, and utility capacity modeling.

Actual water service commitments, infrastructure construction, and project approvals will continue to be handled separately by municipalities through utility agreements, development reviews, and future funding decisions.

Public input and collaboration

County staff say development of the One Water Plan began in 2022 and was shaped by multiple rounds of public and stakeholder input over several years. According to the county, nearly 2,900 residents responded to public surveys, while more than 120 subject-matter experts participated in technical workshops focused on water supply, wastewater capacity, stormwater, and future growth conditions.

The planning process also included meetings with municipal leaders, economic development groups, agricultural representatives, homebuilders, environmental organizations, and community groups, as well as a series of public meetings held across Wake County. Feedback from those sessions was used to refine the plan’s goals, priorities, and recommended strategies.

Oversight of the effort was provided by the Wake County Water Partnership, a collaborative group comprising county staff, municipal representatives, utilities, academic partners, and community stakeholders. County officials say the partnership model was intended to reflect both local conditions and regional needs as Wake County continues to grow.

What approval means

If approved, the One Water Plan will become Wake County’s official long-range guide for water planning, setting shared priorities for how the county and its municipalities approach water supply, wastewater, stormwater, flooding, and land use over the next half-century.

County officials emphasize that adoption of the plan does not trigger immediate construction projects or new spending. Instead, it is intended to align future decisions, such as infrastructure investments, development reviews, and intergovernmental coordination, around a common framework.

Any specific projects, funding commitments, or service agreements would still require separate approvals and proceed on their own timelines.

Why it matters to residents

County leaders say the goal of the One Water Plan is to reduce long-term risks by planning ahead rather than responding to problems after they occur. As Wake County grows, officials point to water availability, flooding, and infrastructure capacity as issues that become more difficult and more expensive to address once systems are already strained.

For residents, the plan is intended to help protect access to clean, reliable water, reduce flood impacts as development continues, and preserve natural areas that contribute to quality of life. Supporters of the approach say that coordinating water planning with growth decisions can help avoid future disruptions caused by water shortages, infrastructure failures, or emergency fixes.

While the plan itself does not impose new requirements on residents, county officials describe it as a long-term effort to ensure that growth does not outpace the systems needed to support it.

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