Nine reservoirs in the Upper Neuse River Basin provide clean water to serve about half of the population of the growing Research Triangle region, including Hillsborough, Butner, Durham, Raleigh, the Research Triangle Park. Falls Lake is the primary water supply for 450,000 citizens of Raleigh and eastern Wake County towns. The State and US Environmental Protection Agency have listed Falls Lake as impaired or polluted because of excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediments from urban stormwater, agricultural runoff, wastewater discharges, septic tanks and other sources. The NC Environmental Management Commission is considering rules to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous pollution into Falls Lake by 40% and 77%, respectively, from a 2006 baseline. The Nicholas Institute has been a resource to local governments, state agencies, and other stakeholders to help design cost effective policies and practices to protect and restore water quality in all the water supplies in the watershed.