In advance of Hurricane Florence barreling down on the Carolinas, we have received many questions about Charlotte Water’s system in the event of a major storm.

Our advice: be prepared, but not worried.

Charlotte Water has built redundancies into every aspect of our systems. We have backups for backups. Even in the event that power goes down at a treatment plant, Charlotte Water has a plan. We have high capacity generators, relationships with Duke Energy for support and contracts in place for any resources, like additional fuel, that we may need. Our distribution system has a robust back-up system to make sure water flows to your home, even in major storm events water outages are rare and often localized.  Something to keep in mind toilets will also continue to function normally and do not require electric power to operate.

But like Charlotte Water, the community should also be prepared. That means, putting together a family preparedness kit. If the event takes days to recover or if residents live in an area serviced by a pipe that breaks, make sure you have water on hand. Some tips we’ve heard from others in the community:

• “Fill your bathtub with water for flushing.”
• “Fill gallon zip lock bags with water and freeze. This, not only keeps food cold if the power is out, but also gives you a water source.”
• “Fill up those reusable water bottles!”

Did you know $1 buys you 247 gallons from Charlotte Water? Take time now before the storm to get ready. We at Charlotte Water will be prepared too!

BTW: The water service to your home is independent of your electric service, so a loss of power shouldn’t result in a loss of water.

Stay tuned to the City’s communication channels to stay up to date. And, please remember to use 311 to report outages or water main breaks; you can also request service this way. Use 911 for emergencies only.