A little bubbly water may catch you by surprise, but don’t worry. We didn’t change your tap to champagne. Sometimes air can get trapped inside pipes and cause temporary bubbles in a glass of water. If you notice cloudy or discolored water, it may be mineral deposits.
Very fine sediment from mineral deposits settles out of the water and accumulates in the bottom of the pipes over several years. The mineral deposits in the pipes can be dislodged during sudden changes in the direction or flow of the water (i.e., water main break, hydrant use, etc.).
CLTWater notifies water billing customers of planned and unplanned water outages as soon as possible. If you rent, you can sign up to receive alerts at charlottewater.org. If you are notified of a water outage, please turn off dishwashers, washing machines, and automatic ice machines until water service is restored.
Once water service is restored, you shouldn’t experience bubbly, cloudy, or discolored water. If you do, please:
Run cold water for 10 minutes (preferably an outside spigot or bathtub first).
When water runs clear, run cold water through any faucets where discolored water is present.
If the water isn’t clear, run cold water for an additional 10 minutes and carefully unscrew faucet aerators to remove and clean.
If water is not clear, please call 311 or 704-336-7600 and say or select water emergency.
Turbidity is the measure of the cloudiness of the water and is a key water quality measurement taken at our treatment plants, fire hydrants, and sampling stations. Charlotte Water (CLTWater) tests water throughout Mecklenburg County daily.
Your home’s humidity will typically be less than one Nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU). A glass of water with a reading of five NTU is just noticeable to the average person. If you notice cloudy water, it is likely a higher NTU, and you should follow the steps above.
Deondra “Dee” Hagans has always had the desire to help people. “I like being able to better the lives of the people I come in contact with,” she says. That’s why she has always worked in public service in some capacity. It’s also one of the things that excites her the most about her new role as a Customer Service Representative, working with both Charlotte Water and Mecklenburg County’s Department of Social Services (DSS): “This partnership between the City and County allows me to help residents get connected to resources that they need most.”
As a liaison between both departments, Deondra will be able to work as a City and County representative to help residents get connected to financial aid assistance and resources they qualify for. Dee has an extensive background in financial assistance, including five years working with DSS in their Economic Services division. However, this new position and role is especially important because of how it was created and the purpose it serves.
During the COVID pandemic, Charlotte Water saw the financial strain the pandemic had on customers. To decrease some burden, late fees were lifted, disconnections were suspended, and payment plans were extended so families had access to water services during financial hardship. As the pandemic continued, financial assistance through grants, community programs and state and federal funds, were allocated to families to help cover rent, utilities, food, and other necessities. One such state program was the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) that focused specifically on helping residents with their outstanding water bills. The state sent the funds to the County, who would then distribute it to households in need.
To accomplish this, DSS and Charlotte Water had to work closely together. Representatives met weekly to create a process that was the best way to determine and distribute the funds. Details from how residents applied for aid, to how to help people who were not eligible were discussed.
In the end, DSS and Charlotte Water decided to auto-match the funds to accounts that qualified. Charlotte Water would send a list to DSS of accounts that were overdue or at risk of being disconnected when regular billing procedures resumed. DSS would check if those accounts had already become eligible for other aid and match them with funds through the LIHWAP program. Those who were eligible would receive a one-time credit that cleared their balance.
Because of the collaboration, thousands of residents were able to get a financial fresh start when account balances were forgiven. As more funds were released, DSS and Charlotte Water saw an opportunity to create a permanent position between the two departments that would be bigger than just the LIHWAP program. Charlotte Water is always looking for ways to connect customers to the financial aid available and DSS understands that if you need water bill assistance during a financial hardship, there’s a possibility you might need other financial assistance as well.
The new role, and Dee, are opening up opportunities for future partnerships between the City and the County that will benefit our community. “Being able to work with both agencies means I have the ability to help the customers in several ways, versus just one area of need they might have,” says Dee. “It’s a win-win-win for everyone.”
For years, as a Charlotte Water employee, I have encouraged customers to plan ahead for the replacement of their private plumbing, especially if their pipes are nearing 50 years. I thought about replacing my plumbing, but I waited too long. Below is my warning to customers in old houses.
I started hearing a dripping sound that I hadn’t heard before. I followed the sound into the basement and traced it back to our private plumbing line coming into the house. It soon went from a dripping noise to several dripping noises.
I quickly called CharMeck 311 (704-336-7600) to request an emergency water turn-off by Charlotte Water Customer Service. The call took just a few minutes, and a field technician was there to turn off our water at the meter in less than an hour.
A Temporary Solution
We used coolers to capture and store the water leaking out of our walls and then used the water to flush toilets later.
I bought a few gallons of distilled water for coffee and a few gallons of purified water for drinking.
How to flush a toilet without water service
Talk to your next-door neighbors to see if you can hook up a hose temporarily to fill containers.
Lift the toilet tank lid off (see picture)
Pour water to the water line mark inside the tank.
You will need to pour at least two gallons per flush.
I refilled containers using a hose connected to my neighbor’s house and refilled each night at a relative’s home.
We put the containers by the toilets to refill the tank and reused small water bottles to wash hands.
Pro tip– designate one or two toilets as the one(s) you plan on using during the outage. Make others off-limits to reduce the number of toilets you must refill.
Pour water to the ‘water line’ mark in the toilet tank.
After replacing our plumbing line, we ran cold water first for several minutes outside spigots/hose bibs and then indoor tubs and water faucets. The water heater took more than an hour to reheat. As a precaution, we tossed out the old ice and the next batch of ice from the automatic ice maker in the fridge.
Everything changes when you don’t have easy access to flowing water. Our children appreciated tap water more and conserved water because they knew it took extra steps. We are so thankful to have a new water line and I hope my experience helps you prevent a similar emergency and provides a few ideas on how to survive it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some signs I may have a plumbing leak between the water meter and the house?
If you hear a dripping noise or notice wet spots in your crawlspace or basement or even a greener-than-usual patch of grass on the area between your meter and your house you may have a leak.
How much water do I need each day?
At least a gallon for hand washing, brushing teeth and drinking, so at a bare minimum, you will need seven gallons per person per day to drink, brush, and flush. This doesn’t include showers, laundry, or dishwashing. Consider purchasing paper plates, plastic cups, and utensils.
Any purchased water containers (gallon jugs or small water bottles) can be refilled several times to reduce the cost of purchasing water at a store.
Use any large containers you have around to store and refill toilets.
Wet dry vacuum to suck up any water if you experience flooding
Coolers
Dehumidifier and humidifier tanks
If possible, store water in a bathtub and keep a large container to scoop the water out
How can I prevent a plumbing emergency?
If your plumbing is 50+ years old, you should plan in advance to prevent this from happening to you:
Talk to your home insurance provider to see if your policy covers water line replacement or if it should be added to your policy.
Some homeowners’ insurance only covers the damage (i.e., flooding) and not the plumbing repair.
Research alternative insurance options, including home warranty or service line protection plans to see if they would be a good fit for your situation
Find out what your plumbing materials are made of.
Lead – installed 1900-1986, dull gray and easily scratched surface, although banned in 1986, installation of lead pipes was very rare in Mecklenburg County.
Copper – installed 1930s – present, reddish (like a penny) to dark brown or green, in some cases may contain lead-based solder if home was built before 1986 and hasn’t had plumbing replaced after 1986.
Galvanized Steel – 1930-1980s, gray or metallic, may rust internally and externally, limited lifespan.
Polyethylene (PEX) – 1990s to present, many colors (typically red and blue for hot and cold supply lines), flexible to install.
Don’t wait…
Get three quotes/price estimates from licensed plumbers.
Each plumber may have a different strategy to replace your plumbing
Ask a lot of questions
Plumbers are very busy and a project like this will need time to schedule.
Know what is under your front yard. Do you have buried fiber optic, wastewater pipes, storm drain, etc? Trees can also affect where your service line is installed. Contact NC 811 to learn about what public utilities can be marked and how to find locators that find private lines (well, septic, gas, etc.)
Don’t do anything to your plumbing that could possibly cause a leak.
How long will it take for plumbers to install new plumbing?
It can vary. We were without water for seven days before our new plumbing line was installed and service was restored.
Our water pipe repair damaged a sidewalk. Will the City fix the sidewalk?
If your repair requires damaging or removing the sidewalk, you will need to replace the sidewalk. Make sure to get three quotes and ensure that they are trained and able to complete the work to the city / town sidewalk specifications.
Did you know that your plumbing actually starts at the building side of the meter box? Learn more on this blog.
Is it My Plumbing or Charlotte Water’s to Maintain?
Where does my private plumbing start?
Property owners maintain all water pipes beginning at the end of the meter, which is the tailpiece for a common 5/8-inch service. Property owners are also responsible for all plumbing, plumbing fixtures, and appliances in their buildings. Likewise, an owner’s responsibility for wastewater pipe (sewer) begins, as a rule of thumb, at the street right-of-way. There may be exceptions. Charlotte Water maintains the water meter, including the meter yoke assembly, meter box, and water and wastewater mains under public streets.
You also have a backflow prevention device if you have an irrigation system.
If you live near Lake Norman, Mt. Island Lake, or Lake Wylie, you may also have a low-pressure sewer system (LPSS) that pumps wastewater to the public system.
Charlotte Water Blog 