Category Archives: Employee Spotlights

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights

Meet Tariq: A Planning Department Intern

This summer, Charlotte Water’s internship program continues introducing talented and motivated students to the world of public service. Today, I talked with Tariq Harris, a Planning Department intern passionate about engineering and real-world problem solving. We explored his impactful work and what he’s taken away from his time here so far.

Q1: What school do you go to and what do you study?

Tariq is studying engineering at North Carolina A&T University and is about to enter his senior year. “My favorite thing about my school is the community and how there is support from far away and close by”, he shares. Tariq has also attended UNC Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College for a summer semester.

Tariq sitting at his desk in the office doing work on his computer
Tariq’s workspace in the office
Q2: What inspired you to apply to Charlotte Water?

“I wanted more experience for what I do in school, and Charlotte Water seemed to provide that,” he tells us. Currently interning in the Planning department, he felt that Charlotte Water offered the perfect opportunity to deepen his understanding of the industry. His previous internship with LUESA (Land Use and Environmental Service Agency) gave him a strong foundation, where he took water samples from the Foxhole Compost site and conducted water quality testing. “While I was at a recycling center,” he recalled, “I saw an explosion from a battery that was disposed of,” giving him a unique and unexpected glimpse into the realities of fieldwork.

Q3: What kind of projects have you worked on during your internship?

“So far, I’ve been working on collecting data maps and capacity maps, talking with consultants, and putting them on a map in GIS”. He talks about the importance of this data and mapping, as it allows them to know where they need pipes and what size is needed for future developments.

Tariq and other interns looking out towards the stream at the Lakewood Stream Restoration Tour
Tariq and other interns at the Lakewood Stream Restoration Tour
Q4: How do you see this internship helping you in your future career?

“The experience will help narrow down what field I want to enter after college,” Tariq explained. He mentioned that his communication style is changing and improving, stating, “I feel like I’m now more open to different communication styles with people inside and outside the workplace, allowing me to get out of my comfort zone.”

From analyzing and collecting map data to unexpected field explosions, Tariq has seen a lot, and he’s just getting started. His commitment to his studies and personal growth makes him a standout intern, and as always, we can’t wait to see where his journey will take him!

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights

Meet Adriana: A GIS Intern

This summer’s internship program has brought in an exciting and driven group of young professionals. One of them is Adriana Jimenez-Willis, an intern in the GIS department, which stands for Geospatial Information Services. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with her to chat about her day-to-day role while taking note of her experience.

Q1: What school do you go to and what do you study?

Adriana is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go heels!), going into her fourth year. Double majoring in political and environmental science gives her a unique perspective on our natural world. She explains that she likes to focus on ecology because “I like puzzles, and I feel like ecology seeks to understand the puzzle that is the natural world.” Adriana also enjoys learning about evolution and the fascinating ways life has adapted over time.

Adriana at a drone presentation holding the remote used to operate them, she is next to a Charlotte Water employee.
Adriana at a drone presentation
Q2: What kind of projects have you been working on?

“There are basically two big sides to what I’m doing”, she explains. One of those sides is customer service. Customers will ask for the geographic records of their property, and Adriana ensures they get all the necessary information and mapping details. The other part is editing the maps themselves. Projects she supports include maintaining datasets and updating internal maps used by Charlotte Water employees. She emphasizes that the Planning and Construction department greatly benefits from having these maps and that they are a crucial part of their operation.

Q3: What’s something you didn’t expect to learn at this internship?

“I didn’t realize how extensive the systems were and how many people contribute to the process of our water. It’s crazy to realize how much goes into it.” As interns, we participate in the Summer Exploration Program, where we tour wastewater treatment plants and rivers, develop projects, and much more. Adriana talked about how the first tour we went on, which was at the Lee Duke water treatment plant, opened her eyes to everything behind getting the water to customers.

Adriana at the construction site of the Stowe WRRF in front of a sign labeled "Building 910". Other interns are standing near her in hard hats and safety vests.
Adriana on a tour of the Stowe Regional WRRF
Q4: Do you have any mentors or coworkers who have helped shape your experience?

“Our GIS group is 12 people”, she tells us, “I could find many good things to say about each and every one of them.”

Adriana says that her coworkers are the most fun part of her job, that they’re nice, funny, always willing to help, and that there’s a different vibe when many are in the office at once. “Special shout-out to Amelia Albert because she’s the one who’s trained me and gotten her hands dirty with all of the fine details and tedious stuff. She answers my most specific questions, and I appreciate her.”

Talking with Adriana offered an inspiring glimpse into the vital work behind the scenes at Charlotte Water. Her passion for GIS and dedication to learning highlight the importance of innovative, skilled professionals in keeping our community’s essential services running smoothly. We’re excited to see where her journey takes her next!

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights, General, How Things Work, News, What's Going On?

Charlotte Water is Back in the Reclaimed Water Business!!!

Charlotte Water is once again providing reclaimed water to customers in the University Area, after a 10-year hiatus.  Charlotte Water’s Mallard Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF ) produces high-quality reclaimed water that is distributed to permitted users, who use the water for irrigation and cooling tower water.  The reclaimed water system was constructed and placed into service in 1997 and provided permitted users with high quality reclaimed water until 2014.  When the Mallard Creek WRRF experienced an illicit discharge of PCB’s (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) in 2014, the Reclaimed Water System was shut down to protect permitted user’s systems from potential contamination.

Following the illicit PCB discharge to the Mallard Creek WRRF, the facility underwent a lengthy decontamination process in order to ensure the facility was free of PCBs.  After the decontamination process, the Mallard Creek WRRF was due for  Improvements and Capacity Expansion, due to the growth in the University Area. As the Improvements and Capacity Expansion were nearing completion, discussions with previous and potential new reclaimed water users began, and a timeline was set for the Reclaimed Water System to be re-activated.  The goal was to have the Reclaimed Water System back in service by the Summer of 2024.

The work to get the Reclaimed Water System back in service started in the early part of 2023.  Charlotte Water’s Environmental Management Division (EMD) started discussions throughout the department to plan for restarting the Reclaimed Water System after being dormant for 10 years.The various groups within Charlotte Water that came together for this effort included; Field Operations, Engineering, Water Treatment, Maintenance, Backflow, Customer Service, IT, and Laboratory Services.  This cross-functional team, with Leadership from Billy Allen (CLTWater’s Reclaimed Water System Coordinator), successfully conducted major required activities to get the system ready for operation once again.The major activities that needed to take place, included locating all valves and air release stations, exercising valves, testing backflow preventers, rebuilding air release stations, clearing right of ways, flushing of the reclaimed water pipelines with potable water, pressure testing the system with potable water, repairing two significant leaks, final flushing with reclaimed water, and sampling of the reclaimed water to ensure reclaimed water quality standards are being met.

Once the hard work from this cross-functional team was complete, Charlotte Water was ready to place the Reclaimed Water System back into service for the first time in 10 years.  On the morning of November 7th, a team from Charlotte Water’s EMD and Maintenance Divisions, completed the Switchover from Potable Water to Reclaimed Water, at The Tradition Golf Course, which Mecklenburg County owns.  CLTWater EMD and Maintenance Division Staff accompanied Pinnacle Golf Staff (the contract golf course operator for Mecklenburg County) onto the course, to observe them restarting their irrigation system on reclaimed water and were able to confirm the successful transition back to reclaimed water, by seeing reclaimed water applied to the green on hole 16.

Currently, the only user that is actively receiving Reclaimed Water is The Tradition Golf Course, however the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC) hopes to begin receiving and utilizing reclaimed water sometime in 2025.  UNCC constructed a  reclaimed water pipeline on their campus in 2022.  CLTWater is also looking at ways to further expand the Reclaimed Water System in the University Area, as the use of reclaimed water offsets the use of potable water for irrigation and cooling tower water, as it reduces the impact on Charlotte Water’s Inter-Basin Transfer (IBT ) Certificate.

Many Charlotte Water Staff Members contributed greatly to this monumental effort, and everyone who participated should be extremely proud of this accomplishment!  The Restarting of the Reclaimed Water System could not have happened without your hard work and dedication.  A special recognition to the efforts of Rogers Brown, Corey Butler, Larry Davis, Don Rivers, and Shuhurah Lee, who all helped immensely with this effort in the field, during the past few months!

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights, Events, General, What's Going On?

Sweet Success: Charlotte Water Wins First Prize in Honey Tasting Contest

The Mecklenburg Beekeepers Association hosted its annual honey-tasting contest in early October.  Beekeepers from all over the county were invited to submit honey samples for judging based on taste.  This year, 29 jars were submitted and tasted by more than 40 judges from the beekeeping community and the public.

Using a double-blind taste test and a 3-round elimination bracket, the best-tasting honey selected was a mixture including nectar sources from the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the Irwin Creek WWTP.  McAlpine Creek WWTP has approximately eight hives, and Irwin Creek WWTP has three hives, managed by Charlotte Water staff. 

In addition to the Charlotte Water managed hives, Irwin Creek WWTP also has four hives managed by an external partner and the McDowell Creek WWTP has two hives. 

The quality of the honey the hives produce at the wastewater treatment plants is a testament to everything these facilities stand for… clean water for a clean environment.  Not only do the Charlotte Water treatment plants specifically create clean water, but their large footprints host a tremendous amount of plant and animal diversity.  There seems to be something in bloom at treatment plants, and the bees know it.

The wide range of plants and closed-off nature of the treatment facilities create an oasis for urban wildlife, with all manner of birds, mammals, and insects left to thrive relatively close to the city.

As part of winning the best-tasting honey in Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte Water honey will be sent to a lab for pollen grain analysis to better understand the sources of nectar our bees love so much!

Beehive