Behind the Scenes

The Latest Buzz on Charlotte Water’s Beekeeping Program 


Charlotte Water is always looking for innovative ways to be better environmental stewards, meet our sustainability goals and get creative with our work. It’s no secret that employees at Charlotte Water are passionate about what they do and one such program that has risen from that passion is the Wastewater Beekeeping Program led by Will Rice.  

Award Winning Honey 

The program started small and simple, housing one hive at the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Management Facility in 2018. Later, this program would become a part of Charlotte Water’s 2020 Strategic Plan. Since its inception, the program has grown to over 20 hives across five wastewater facilities in the Mecklenburg County area and the honey produced by these bees is not just tasty – it’s award winning. 

Charlotte Water’s McAlpine Honey placed third out of 34 entries in the Mecklenburg Beekeepers Association honey-tasting competition in 2025 after winning first place in the 2024 contest. 

“Wastewater bees make the best honey,” says Will Rice, project manager at Charlotte Water. “And bees are an astute indicator of environmental health. The air, water, and soil at wastewater facilities make a great home for biodiversity.”  

A man in a bee keeping bonnet, khaki pants, a neon yellow shirt and blue gloves is standing in a field next to several wooden bee boxes and holding a wooden frame that contains honey, honeycomb and bees.
Will Rice, project manager at Charlotte Water and the brains behind the wastewater bees project, carefully removes bees to check on the health of the hive.

The Birds and the Bees 

The bees certainly thrive at Charlotte Wastewater facilities. They seem to appreciate all the wide-open spaces, clean water, various insects and animals, and the lush collection of flowers and plants that grow natively or are seeded by Charlotte Water staff.   

The bees are managed and carefully maintained by four dedicated beekeepers, one Charlotte Water employee and three external community beekeepers. The program showcases Charlotte Water’s holistic integration of sustainability projects with the important work we do every day, providing clean and safe water that not only serves our customers but also impacts our local watershed and ecosystems.  
 
“Wastewater treatment is a largely biological process at Charlotte Water,” said Rice. “Especially in comparison to where bees would make habitats in other places around the city, our wastewater facilities use very few chemical pollutants. By comparison, lots of households use fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides that we do not.”  

Partners in Productivity 

Charlotte Water treats, distributes, and collects millions of gallons of water every week, whether that is fresh drinking water or treated wastewater that goes back into our creek systems. It is important to the health of the public and our environment that the process is safe and effective. Depending on the season and conditions, the wastewater bees can produce anywhere from 1 to 6 gallons of honey per hive per year, all while pollinating local vegetation and fostering biodiversity. 

The benefits shared between these bees and Charlotte Water are undeniable. The bees continue to prove that integrating environmentally thoughtful practices in our everyday operations is key to protecting, treating and distributing our most precious resource, water. 

General

From Data Overload to Strategic Insight: Turning Information into Impact at Charlotte Water

At the NC One Water Annual Conference, Charlotte Water’s Colin Stifler shared a simple example to explain why data matters. He said to think about a trip to the doctor. When you check in, they take your blood pressure, temperature, weight, and other numbers. Each number tells you something small, but when you look at them together, you get a clear picture of your overall health. That’s what helps the doctor figure out what’s going on and what to do next.

Colin explained that organizations work the same way. To understand how they’re doing, they need to look at a few key results that really matter. Then they need to understand what affects those results. When you connect the dots between what you want to achieve and what causes changes over time, you can make smarter decisions.

Focusing on What Matters Most

Charlotte Water has six main priorities that guide its work:

  • A strong, high-performing workforce
  • Great customer service
  • Good community engagement
  • Reliable and safe infrastructure
  • Financial stability
  • Protecting the environment

For each priority, Charlotte Water tracks certain measures. However, Colin emphasized that the numbers alone aren’t enough; leaders also need to understand what drives them.

For example, a key measure for workforce success is the vacancy rate. Vacancy rate is shaped by things like how long it takes to fill a job, how many people apply, and how many accept an offer. Those things are then shaped by deeper factors, like training, leadership, pay, and workplace culture. Looking at all of this together helps leaders understand why a number changes, not just that it changed.

Turning Insight into Action

Colin shared how this approach is helping Charlotte Water reduce sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). An SSO happens when wastewater spills out of the sewer system. These spills are bad for the environment and for public health.

Last year, Charlotte Water had 3.2 SSOs for every 100 miles of pipe. This result is good compared to many large utilities, but the team’s goal is two or fewer. To understand why the number wasn’t lower, staff looked at the main causes of recent SSOs. They found that more SSOs were happening because of pipe failures—up 68% compared to the last three years.

Taken by Cam Coley, employee City of Charlotte, Charlotte Water

After seeing that, staff checked the rate at which old pipes were being replaced. They discovered that pipe replacement had slowed down during the same time pipe-related SSOs went up. This showed a clear path forward: increasing pipe repair and replacement would help bring SSO numbers down. Engineering teams will continue working on the details, but the data helped point everyone in the right direction.

A Clearer Path Forward

Colin closed with one key message: when you choose the right things to measure and take the time to understand what affects them, you make better decisions.

This approach helps leaders avoid guesswork, stay focused, and take action that truly makes a difference. Just like a doctor uses vital signs to care for patients, Charlotte Water is using simple, meaningful data to guide decisions and continue serving our community well.

General, How Things Work, My Water, Wastewater, Water Quality

Plumbing Tips When Buying A House

Buying a house is exciting and a little scary. Before you pick the final one, check out below tips to reduce future costs and concerns…

Questions to ask the owner / realtor

  • Is the water service provided by Charlotte Water, a third party, or is the property on a private well?
    • Is wastewater service also provided by Charlotte Water?
  • If the house was built more than 50 years ago, has the plumbing been replaced? If it hasn’t, that could cost thousands of dollars to replace.
  • Are there any utility easements under the property?
  • Is there a pressure-reducing valve on the water service line?
  • Where is the water meter?
    • If the water meter is between the street and a sidewalk, and the private plumbing service line needs to be replaced, any damage to a sidewalk will be up to the property owner to pay.

Easements

CLTWater easements are not typically reported as part of a title search for title insurance when purchasing a property. Surveying the property is the best way to determine if there are any easements on it.​ Learn more at https://cltwaterblog.org/2023/03/easement-101/.

Low Water Pressure

If the property is at the top of a hill or on the highest part of the neighborhood, it is likely you will experience lower water pressure than others in the neighborhood. Learn more about other possible factors at charlottewater.org.

High Water Pressure

If the property is located beside a creek, at the bottom of a hill, or in the lowest part of the neighborhood, it may have higher water pressure than other properties in the neighborhood. Learn more about other possible factors at charlottewater.org.

Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV)

If the house is located in a geographically low area (near a creek) or near a water pumping facility, the water pressure may exceed 80 psi. Learn more at charlottewater.org.

Irrigation and Backflow Prevention Device Testing

If the house has an irrigation system, it probably also has a backflow prevention device that requires testing. 

Wastewater Cleanout

Most homes also have a white plastic lid, commonly referred to as a cleanout. This provides access to the wastewater pipe between your house and the public wastewater system, allowing you to inspect and clear blockages. Many houses do not have a cleanout and may be worth considering, especially if you have trees in the front yard.

Backwater Valve

A plumbing fixture called a backwater valve can prevent sewage backups. The North Carolina State Plumbing Code has required backwater valves in some homes since the early 1930s. If your plumbing fixtures are located below the top of the first upstream manhole, state regulations require the installation of a backwater valve. To determine if your property has a backwater valve or needs one, please consult a professional plumber or contractor. Learn more about other possible wastewater issues at charlottewater.org.


Waterfront Properties and Homes Lower Than The Public Street

If your future home is on waterfront property or the public road is higher than your house, the house may have a low-pressure sanitary sewer system to pump your wastewater up to the gravity-fed sewer system. Make sure you understand how old the pump is and if there have been any issues with the system. If you choose to purchase the home, consider having a plumber inspect it occasionally.

Read Inspector Notes

Consider getting a home inspector to investigate the house. When reviewing the inspector’s notes, pay close attention to any remarks related to the plumbing system. The inspector may provide details about the pipe type and age, potential water or wastewater issues, and the presence of easements affecting the property. Do any of the noted issues need immediate repair?

When reading the home inspection report, you may see information about water flow in gallons per minute (gpm) or water pressure in pounds per square inch (psi). The minimum expected levels at the water meter are

  • Flow is equal to or greater than 8 gpm
  • Pressure is equal to or greater than 20 psi
  • If the house numbers are lower than these, please consult with the inspector on readings. Backflow prevention devices, pressure-reducing valves, whole-house filtration systems, and other attachments to the plumbing system may restrict flow or pressure inside a home.

Set Up Your Account Days Before Moving In

Don’t forget…before moving in, call us to set up your account several days in advance. Learn more at https://www.charlottenc.gov/water/Customer-Care/Start-Stop-Service

Other Resources

My Charlotte Lookup to learn about property, district, and trash/recycling details.

Photobook of Water and Wastewater Construction to learn more about what water and wastewater structures may be in a yard and how to determine the type of plumbing you have.

Cautionary Tale: Replace Old Water Service Line Before It Becomes an Emergency.

Construction, General, Infrastructure Improvements

Accomplishing two goals with one project

Adding Capacity at Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant and Moving More Water Back to the Catawba River

Clarke Creek Pump Station and Force Main Project

An average of 87+ million gallons of wastewater is treated and discharged each day from CLTWater’s wastewater treatment plants. Another 4.96 million gallons a day flows from northeastern Mecklenburg County to the Rocky River Regional Plant (owned and operated by the Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County [WSACC]). Learn more about the agreement between CLTWater and Cabarrus County at CLTWater.org.

In 2021, CLTWater reached the maximum limit of permitted wastewater flow into the WSACC system. One of the steps to reduce flow was to move more wastewater to McDowell Creek by constructing a pump station in the Clarke Creek basin. The wastewater from these customers would naturally flow downstream to Rocky River, so CLTWater built a pump station to push the wastewater across the ridge line back to the Catawba River. The wastewater flows along pipes beside McDowell Creek until it reaches the McDowell Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Facts
+ 2.5 million gallons a day pump station at peak. Started at more than half a million gallons of daily flow.
+ 21,812 feet of force main pipe
+ 7,000 feet of gravity sewer

McDowell Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements

Engineers also needed to ensure the wastewater plant’s readiness before adding more flow. CLTWater invested in multiple enhancements at the wastewater treatment plant so operators would be ready for the increased flow and replaced equipment that is at the end of its useful service life.

An excavator filling a dump truck at the pump station.