Activity: Charlotte Water themed scavenger hunt
Age range: All ages
Lace-up your walking shoes for this one! We’ve created a Charlotte Water themed scavenger hunt that anyone can do anywhere. You may not realize it, but your neighborhood is full of vital infrastructure that ensures you have access to safe drinking water and sanitary sewers. You may walk by this infrastrcture every day and not notice them.
Download the scavenger hunt board and check off as many items you can find, you may be surprised at everything you see right in front of your eyes. Let us know if you find all of the items by tagging us on social and you could win a prize!
Here is some information on the items you will be looking for:
Hydrant: Hydrants are placed all around the city, mainly as access points for firefighter use. However, they are also used to clean out any sediments from the water pipes and verify that sufficient water flow is available for use. When we test the hydrants it helps us determine any pressure weakness in the water pipes. Read our blog to learn more about hydrant flushing.
Charlotte Water Truck: Our crews use their trucks to visit various work sites around the city. These truck identify that they are part of the Charlotte Water crew, and are equipped with the necessary supplies to complete their daily tasks.
Charlotte Water Vactor Truck: These are large trucks with tanks attached and are used to remove blockages in wastewater pipes. Blockages are removed by using a strong jet of water to break the blockage up or by a vacuum to remove the blockages from the pipes. If you see one of these in your neighborhood, there is probably a blockage that our crews are working to break up so it doesn’t cause a sanitary sewer overflow. Learn how you can help us Keep Your Pipes Flowing Free here.
Water meter box: Inside of the box is a water meter that measures the amount of water being used in your home. This box can typically be found in the front of your home. Keep track of how much water you use in a day with our At-Home Water Audit and check out our website to learn how to read your water meter.
Water Valve cover: You may often see these covers (a small lid) in the road covering the valves. These valves under the covers allow our crews to turn the water off for maintenance or repairs. Some covers may have “Water” written on the top of the lid, or you may also see some covers that say “CMUD” which is an acronym for the former name of the Charlotte Water department, which was the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department.
Manhole Covers: Manholes are placed along the sewer lines to provide access to them as needed for inspections or removing objects from the pipes. Depending on their location, some manholes may be raised, while others are level with the road or surface. Raised manhole covers are typically found in low lying areas near creeks and streams so that water does not flow into the manhole during rain events. Check out our blog about inflow and infiltration to learn more.
Monitoring Station: These are stations that give us direct access to water main lines to test the quality of water. There are almost 300 across the county with plans to build more. Learn more about them here.
Water Tower: The primary purpose of a water tower is to help pressurize the water system for distribution throughout the city. That is why these towers stand high above buildings or towns – the water can flow down and the forces of gravity help to push the water through the pipes. Learn how to make your own water tower!
Sewer vent: These are in place to provide ventilation to the sewer system. Your home is also equipped with a vent for your plumbing system. Its primary function is to carry sewer gases safely away from your home.
A Charlotte Water crew working: Our crews work around the clock to keep our water and wastewater system working! You can spot them working around town at various job sites at any time of the day.
Water coloring page: We’ve added this item as a bonus! Check out our blog post featuring various coloring pages – you can color one or all of them!