Abundant Water Is Anson's Special Advantage

As Americans, we tend to take the availability of safe, clean drinking water for granted, but water is an extremely important resource, not just for individuals and families, but for industry, as well. As recent drought conditions, both across the country and more locally, have demonstrated, water is literally the lifeblood of our economy. I was working in another community in 2007 when a summer long drought brought the heavily-stressed Catawba River, that community's primary source, to near-crisis level. A series of fall rainstorms alleviated the situation just days before mandatory conservation measures were scheduled to go into place, potentially impacting several industries.

Although the planet is about 2/3 water by surface area, freshwater makes up only 3% of that total. Only 1% is stored as groundwater and surface sources, while an additional 2% is locked up in the polar ice caps. Around the world, more than 1.2 billion people struggle daily to find enough water to meet their basic needs.

When it comes to water resources, Anson County is fortunate in a number of ways. The entirety of the county's northern and eastern boundaries are formed by the Rocky and Pee Dee Rivers. These basins have not been stressed by population growth to the extent that other rivers in the state have. Further, their flow is managed by a series of upriver dams and reservoirs which virtually guarantee a predictable flow, regardless of season and relatively independent of minor rainfall variations.

The majority of water consumed in Anson County comes from the county-operated water plant located near Lilesville. The plant's current capacity is 16 million gallons per day (MGD), of which we are currently using 4 MGD and exporting 4 MGD to Union County, 1 MGD to Marshville and
1.6 MGD to Richmond County. The plant is effectively running at 66% capacity, allowing plenty of excess water for new industry and residential development into the immediate future. For reference, a very large textile or food & beverage operation would require about 1 MGD, well within our current capabilities. Based on current growth and development projections, we will likely need to bring new capacity online around 2025, and plans are currently in place for just such an expansion.

Several different industry sectors require water for their production processes, and some, such as food & beverage, may even use it as a component of the finished product. The Niagara Bottling Plant in Iredell County pulls 2 MGD from the Catawba River, purifies it, bottles it and ships it to consumers across the southeast. If you do the math, that's about 12 million bottles of water EVERY DAY. Let that sink in for a minute. Could Anson recruit an operation like that? Probably. Interestingly, although they essentially use tap water, bottlers do look for certain chemical characteristics in the water source, so it is not 100% certain that our water would work for them, but I think the chances are very good that it would. Beer manufacturers are even more selective about the chemical composition of their water, but again I believe there is a good chance Pee Dee water would make the grade.

In addition to being consumed by people or processes, water is also an important source of potential income on the recreation and entertainment side. Over that past few years, the state has invested in the development of a "Blueway" or paddle trail on the Rocky and Pee Dee Rivers adjoining Anson County. This investment has taken the form of multiple launch/landing sites along the rivers and funds to market the area as a destination for paddling enthusiasts. The Rocky/Pee Dee basin is the closest "wild" river to the Charlotte metro area and offers tremendous potential for day trip adventures. Right now, the infrastructure for this type of activity is still in its infancy. To fully exploit the opportunities, we will need more entrepreneurial interest in outfitters, transportation services, campgrounds, etc., but we see this as a great way for small businesses to build a service around our abundant water resources.