Efforts To Protect Watershed Get Complicated

Wake County Commissioners' efforts to reduce the amount of pollution in Falls Lake and Jordan Lake got a little complicated this week.

Gurnal Scott: Both lakes are considered polluted because of excessive nutrients washed in by stormwater runoff. They are primary sources of Wake County’s drinking water. Commissioners approved new rules requiring developers to use more retention ponds to prevent further pollution. But this week, state lawmakers delayed action on clean water rules. Commissioner Tony Gurley was surprised by that.

Tony Gurley: My understanding was that we were moving along and that these rules were to be implemented in cooperation with the state over the next couple of months.

He says implementing the state rules could take as long as two years. Gurley is worried that if the county's rules don't mesh with the state's once they're set, it could cost millions to comply.