Supreme Court To Hear Catawba Water Fight Monday

The U.S. Supreme Court kicks off its term Monday and its very first case involves the Charlotte area's water battle.

South Carolina is suing North Carolina. It says North Carolina uses too much of the Catawba River and that, eventually, South Carolina residents won't have enough water to live.

Charlotte, Duke Energy, and the Catawba River Water Supply Project all have a lot riding on this case and they're currently part of it, but they may not be able to stay in the case.

That's what Monday is all about whether the three groups get to stay in the fight or whether they have to sit it out and hope for the best.

Charlotte city attorney Mac McCarley said, "There’s is no more basic right that we can fight over."

If Charlotte, Duke, and the Supply Project don't sway the justices Monday, they'll get kicked off the case and people in the Charlotte area will have to rely on the state of North Carolina to do what's best for them.

McCarley said, "We use the water. It matters to us more than it does to the state."

But South Carolina will tell the justices fights between states should stay that way and the United States solicitor general will also tell the court Charlotte, Duke and the Supply Project don't deserve a seat at the table.

The justices promise to make a decision by the end of June, but could decide sooner.

This would have been Justice Sonia Sotomayor's first case on the Supreme Court but she took part in one case before the October term.

People living along the Catawba River are the first to point out how important the water is for manufacturing, energy, and of course, everyday life.

Robert brown said, "Water is the main ingredient for our life. Anybody that knows anything about the human life -- water, we have to have it."