Brunswick County Public Utilities customers must restrict the times and days in which they use irrigation systems or face possible fines.

The county is now under extreme drought conditions, according to the most recent update from the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council. Drought conditions are “contributing significantly” to rising irrigation demands and “the availability of source water from the Cape Fear River,” according to a county release.

To prevent the need for additional water restrictions, particularly as the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaches, the county announced it has moved to a stage 2 mandatory water conservation alert.

The alert applies to residents in unincorporated areas of the county, Boiling Spring Lakes, Bolivia, Calabash, Carolina Shores, Caswell Beach, Navassa, Northwest, Sandy Creek, Shallotte, Southport, St. James, Sunset Beach, and Varnamtown.

Customers of Bald Head Island, Holden Beach, Oak Island and Ocean Isle Beach utilities, which receive their water from Brunswick County Public Utilities, are under the same restrictions.

“Brunswick County asks these customers to diligently use water wisely,” according to a county release. “Demand for water has exceeded 90% of the available production and distribution capacity. As Independence Day approaches, water demands are expected to increase.”

Water customers may not use their irrigation systems on Mondays. Customers with odd address numbers and non-addressed facilities may irrigate on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Those with even address numbers may use their irrigation systems on Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays.

Irrigation systems may only be used between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. This includes irrigation for residential lawns, landscaping, athletic fields, and golf courses that do not use private groundwater wells or reclaimed water.

A complete list of prohibited uses of water is available online.

Brunswick County Public Utilities will notify properties that may be out of compliance with the mandatory irrigation schedule “or other required actions” through the ReadyBrunswick notification system or contact information associated with the property’s utility account.

Calls or messages through the BrunswickReady system will be made from 910-253-1977.

Those who do not comply may be assessed with fees up to $300 and disconnection of their water service. Habitual offenders of the alert may receive penalties of up to $5,000 and water disconnection.

County officials will continue monitoring drought conditions and water usage to determine whether to move to the next water shortage warning stage. A stage 3 water shortage warning prohibits the use of automatic sprinkler systems for residential and commercial lawn and landscapes.

The alert does not apply to customers of Brunswick Regional – H2GO, private groundwater well users, or those using highly treated reclaimed wastewater.

Residents may directly contact their water service provider with questions or Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910.253.2657 or utilityadmin@brunswickcountync.gov.

Additional information and updates may be found at brunswickcountync.gov/WaterWise.

Brunswick County is asking residents and visitors to “diligently use water wisely” after declaring a stage 1 water conservation alert.

The alert, which was announced Tuesday afternoon, places water use restrictions on all Brunswick County Public Utilities customers, including those in unincorporated portions of the county, Boiling Spring Lakes, Bolivia, Calabash, Carolina Shores, Caswell Beach, Navassa, Northwest, Sandy Creek, Shallotte, Southport, St. James, Sunset Beach, and Varnamtown.

Utilities customers of Bald Head Island, Holden Beach, Oak Island, and Ocean Isle Beach are also under the water restrictions since those utilities get their water from Brunswick County Public Utilities.

“Demand for water has exceeded 80% of the available production and distribution capacity,” according to a county release. “As Independence Day approaches, water demands are expected to increase.

Under a stage 1 alert, water customers are asked to voluntarily adjust their water usage habits to help significantly reduce peak demands.

The biggest way customers can cut back on their water usage is by limiting irrigation, which is the bulk of non-essential water use.

Ways in which customers can specifically reduce water use in and around their homes include:

• Avoid watering lawns between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. and on Mondays. Residents with odd address numbers may irrigate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Those with even address numbers may irrigate Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
• Irrigate lawns between midnight and 4 a.m.
• Avoid overwatering lawns.
• Follow the 1-inch rule for grass (one inch of water per week).
• Use drought-tolerant plants.
• Do not water pavement.
• Regularly maintain landscapes by replacing mulch around shrubs and garden plants to help them retain moisture, removing weeds and thatch, and aerating soil.
• Limit the use of clothes washers and dishwashers, operating them only when fully loaded, and before 5 a.m. and after 11 a.m.
• Scrape food from dirty dishes into the trash before placing dishes in the sink or dishwasher.
• Do not leave faucets running while shaving, brushing teeth, rinsing or preparing food.
• Keep drinking water in a container in the refrigerator to avoid running water from a faucet until it is cool.
• Replace showerheads, toilets, faucets and appliances with water-efficient models.
• Bathe in a shower rather than in a bath and limit shower time to no more than five minutes.
• Clean showerheads and faucets regularly to remove mineral buildup and debris.
• Test toilets for leaks and replace old or worn-out toilet flappers.

“A unified application of voluntary water reductions by all water system users in Brunswick County can help to avoid mandatory water restrictions,” the release states.

The water conservation alert does not apply to Brunswick Regional – H2Go customers. Residents on private groundwater wells or those using highly treated reclaimed wastewater, including St. James, Winding River, Sea Trail and Sandpiper Bay golf courses, are also not included in the water conservation alert.

Residents will be notified of any necessary conservation measures and when conditions dictate that restrictions are no longer required.

Questions should be directed to water service providers or Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910.253.2657 or utilityadmin@brunswickcountync.gov.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that its officials are considering new design options for the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project in Brunswick County after feedback from the public.

NCDOT, in collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, is planning to extend S.C. Highway 31, aka the Carolina Bays Parkway, from S.C. Highway 9 in Horry County across the state line to U.S. Highway 17 in Brunswick County.

Proposed is a multilane highway that would use portions of the existing road in addition to building roadway in new areas. The total anticipated cost for the project is ​​$797 million. North Carolina’s share of the cost is estimated at $610.9 million. South Carolina anticipates construction commencing in 2029. North Carolina’s start date was listed as “TBD” on the project website.

In October 2025, the state highway departments jointly held two public hearings about the project. Seven different design alternatives were presented, including the departments’ preferred alternative known as Alternative 4.

NCDOT said Wednesday that, after reviewing public feedback and considering funding challenges, it’s not going to proceed with the North Carolina portion of Alternative 4, which builds on new location, tying in near the intersection of U.S. 17 and N.C. Highway 904.

Alternative 4 would also upgrade part of U.S. 17 to a fully controlled freeway from N.C. 904 to N.C. Highway 130 in Shallotte. 

The two state agencies and the Federal Highway Administration continue to collaborate and explore other alternatives and modified routes to minimize impacts and meet the purpose and need of the project, according to NCDOT’s announcement.

“NCDOT deeply values the input from this community and our stakeholders. We want to provide the region with the best possible roadway designs. We’ve listened to the feedback, and we’re working hard to prepare a new alternative,” said Division 3 Engineer Trevor Carroll in a statement.

Alternative 4 was preferred because of factors such as requiring the lowest number of residential displacements, estimated at 39, and the lowest number of identified noise effects. The impacts to wetlands and streams were also deemed moderate relative to other alternatives, despite a large amount of designated High-Quality Waters impacted.

A new alternative must include connectivity through the transportation network, increased mobility for the region and reduced travel time through the project corridor, officials noted in the announcement.

Additional information regarding the new design is to be presented to the public at a later date. 

NCDOT said it is “committed to transparency, innovative solutions and exploring community feedback regarding this project.” Its response to all comments received is available on the project webpage along with the most updated information regarding the project.

You can also follow NCDOT on social media for additional updates.