Any company using a fire hydrant to draw water must have a 2026-2028 Blue Fire Hydrant Permit Decal affixed to the back or side of its equipment.
The Charlotte Water fire hydrant program provides temporary service for customers in Mecklenburg County for authorized use of public fire hydrants. Hydrants are part of the water distribution system and are essential to public safety, public health, and customer service to our community. Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) and Charlotte Water (CLTWater) are the only two organizations authorized to access the fire hydrants without a special permit.
You play a crucial role in the Hydrant Permit Program. If you notice a company using a fire hydrant without the proper Fire Hydrant Permit Decal, immediately report it to Charlotte Water by calling 311 or 704-336-7600.
Please provide the following information:
Time and Location of Occurrence, including any address or cross streets.
Description of Vehicle or Assembly, including Company Name.
License Plate Number, Name of Operator, or description of individuals.
McDowell Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of the most technologically advanced in removing nutrients and enhancing downstream water quality. Sustainable innovations are nothing new to operators. Since 2001, sugar water has been used at the McDowell plant as an acetic acid substitute. It’s a win-win for Charlotte Water and local businesses when both save money by reusing a waste product.
Sugar water is produced when the soft drink manufacturers have expired or out-of-date products that they have pulled from store shelves and need to dispose of it. It is also produced when the manufacturers make a bad batch of cola and/or need to wash down the processing equipment. This sugar water is used as an organic carbon food source for microorganisms (bugs) that remove phosphorous and nitrogen during the wastewater treatment process. Because McDowell’s effluent discharges into a nutrient-sensitive creek, operators use advanced treatment techniques to also remove nutrients, nitrogen, and phosphorous from water.
The sugar water is a safe, cheap alternative that significantly reduces the use of acetic acid in the treatment process, reducing resource consumption and making use of waste that would otherwise need to be disposed of. The soft drink manufacturer gives it to CLTWater for free and CLTWater pays for the shipping. The process saves ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Have you ever ventured outside and something quite astonishing assaulted your nose? It may be easy to pin the blame on a wastewater treatment plant that could be nearby. However, foul odors commonly emanate from a variety of sources in our community:
Landfills
Industries (i.e. paper or chemical plants)
Natural gas pipeline work
A wastewater spill
Wastewater plants
Even private plumbing
Let’s start inside the home…
Private plumbing systems are designed to prevent wastewater gases from entering residences. All active sewer lines contain gases, and a malfunctioning plumbing system could allow gases or odors to enter the home.
Is the odor inside?
Is the odor only coming from…:
A drain that hasn’t been used recently?
We recommend for you to pour a gallon of water down the drain and see if the odor persists.
Multiple drains that are used frequently?
It may be a blockage or clog in your plumbing. Try a liquid dissolvent, please follow directions and see if this clears the clog and dissipates the odor.
A kitchen sink?
Clean the disposal (following the owner’s manual).
What you put down the drain (grease, oils, wipes) can cause odors clogging your plumbing. If the odor does not go away and is only inside your house, consider having a licensed plumber check your plumbing and vent system.
Odor Outside Home?
Every home has a wastewater vent (on the roof) that could be the source of an odor immediately outside your home (patio, deck, etc.). The odor could be caused by a clog or blockage in your plumbing. Check with neighbors to see if they are also experiencing the odor. If it is only noticed just outside your building, contact a plumber.
Another place to check is in your front yard. Most homes also have a white plastic lid called a cleanout, and that if not closed properly it may cause odor in the yard.
If you live on waterfront property or the road is higher than your house, you may have a low-pressure sanitary sewer system to pump your wastewater up to the gravity fed sewer system. It is possible that this system may be causing an odor in the pump basin if something is malfunctioning.
What Can Cause A Wastewater Type Odor?
Sewage odor may be a sign of a nearby wastewater overflow that needs immediate attention.
If you see or suspect a wastewater overflow or spill, call 311 or 704-336-7600 – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If calling after hours, please say or select ‘wastewater emergency’ to speak to our dispatchers.
If you live beside a wastewater treatment plant, there may be some occasions when a smell is noticeable outside the property. Wastewater odor can be noticeable during warm temperatures, buildup of debris in pipes, or low flow during some nights and weekends.
CLTWater Takes Odor Seriously
For decades, wastewater treatment plants that were once neighbors to farms and forests are now neighbors to residential neighborhoods and businesses. In fact, there’s a wastewater treatment plant in the Little Sugar Creek / South Park area! As people moved closer to our plants, CLTWater invested millions on odor reduction. We aren’t baking bread, but we try hard to make the treatment of our community’s wastewater less noticeable.
Air scrubbers, carbon filters, bio-filters, help CLTWater reduce odors that can occur during the wastewater treatment process. We are committed to safely treating wastewater and reducing odors. We appreciate your input to help us identify potential odors.
How Do I Report an Odor or Sewer Spill?
If you see or suspect a wastewater overflow, call 311 – 24 hours a day, seven days a week (say or select wastewater emergency).
Try to locate the source.
If it is coming from a manhole or a creek, call 311 or 704-336-7600 and provide the closest address.
A repair crew will respond quickly, investigate the cause and repair any publicly owned pipes, if needed.
Treating wastewater is complex, using sophisticated biological systems, multiple filters, and modern disinfection methods.
So why does your sewer part of the monthly bill cost more than water usage?
The Short Answer:
It is easier and cheaper to treat lake water to make it drinkable than to treat the community’s wastewater (industrial, commercial, and residential) and make it clean enough to reintroduce into a creek or river.
Water leaving the plant must be free of harmful pollutants to protect fish, turtles, birds, and other creatures that depend on the creek.
Below is a step-by-step guide for turning lake water into potable or drinking water.
And here are the steps to turn your wastewater into creek-able water.
There are more steps to the wastewater treatment process than water treatment process.
Charlotte Water (CLTWater) only uses water meters to measure usage, so wastewater usage is calculated based on that water usage up to a limit or cap.
Energy and chemical costs are higher for wastewater treatment processes, hence the higher cost for wastewater treatment vs. water treatment on a water bill.
The cost to treat wastewater and meet federal regulations continues to increase. Our goal is to always meet and exceed regulations to ensure cleaner water goes into our creeks.
Stop right here if you’re satisfied! The Longer Answer gets a bit technical about how your billing works.
The Longer Answer:
CLTWater pays for water and wastewater services via usage and billing fees, not taxes (contrary to popular belief). CLTWater posted the official Revenue Manualthat details all fees.
How can I help reduce my water / sewer bill and rate increases? Toss all trash in the trashcan, not down a drain. Did you know that ‘flushable’ wipes clog pipes and require manually pulling them out of pumps? Wipes can cause expensive repairs and maintenance.
