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.