北卡罗来纳州的居民长期以来一直认为他们生活在一个水资源丰富的州。在比较意义上，这是真的。北卡罗来纳州大型人口中心的供水主要来自地表水。如果目前的使用模式和人口增长趋势继续下去，这些资源至少在2015年之前，甚至可能在2035年之前，都足以满足需求。这与许多州形成了鲜明对比，这些州目前正在与枯竭的地下水资源、水权争议和诉讼以及非常严格的保护规定作斗争。那么，为什么北卡罗来纳州的水务公司应该关注水的回收和再利用呢？本文将回答这个问题，并总结在北卡罗来纳州有效阻止开发可行的重用项目的问题。 夏洛特·梅克伦堡公用事业部为克服这些障碍，将回收和再利用纳入其长期水管理战略所做的努力也被描述。

Citizens of North Carolina have long believed that they live in a water-rich state. In a comparative sense, this is true. Water supplies for North Carolina's large population centers are primarily from surface water sources. If present usage pattern and population growth trends continue, these sources are adequate to meet demand until at least 2015 and perhaps until 2035. This is in sharp contrast with many States that now struggle with depleted groundwater sources, water rights controversy and litigation, and very strict conservation mandates. Why, then, should water utilities in North Carolina be concerned with water reclamation and reuse? This paper will answer this question and summarize the issues that have effectively blocked development of a viable reuse program in North Carolina. Efforts of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department to overcome these roadblocks and incorporate reclamation and reuse into its long term water management strategy are also described.