Category Archives: Infrastructure Improvements

Development & Capacity Assurance Program

Construction, General, Infrastructure Improvements, My Water, Repairs and Spills, Water Quality

Unidirectional Hydrant Flushing

Charlotte Water clears mineral deposits (sediment) from water pipes by flushing water through fire hydrants. The mineral deposits in the pipes are only dislodged when the water is flowing at very high speeds. It has not affected water quality but may have reduced water pressures and pipe capacity.

Water quality sampling stations (green boxes) are installed in the neighborhood so staff can test the water before and after flushing hydrants.

Customers receive a postcard and a notice on their door before this type of hydrant use. Updates will be posted on NextDoor.

Discolored Water is Possible

Customers near flushing may notice temporarily discolored water and lower than normal water pressure. The discoloration does not pose a health risk. However, avoid using tap water or running the washing machine or dishwasher until flushing is complete.

If you experience some discoloration in your water from nearby flushing, run the cold water at one tap for 5 minutes to see if it clears. If it does not clear wait an hour and try again. When the water runs clear, flush any taps where discolored water was present. If not clear after one hour, call 311 to report issues

If you have a question about this project, please contact us at 311 or 704-336-7600.

Fire Hydrant Unidirectional Flushing Frequently Asked Questions

What is unidirectional flushing?

Unidirectional flushing is used to improve and maintain our high-quality drinking water. Sediments and mineral deposits in the pipes can discolor drinking water. The high-speed water flows used in unidirectional flushing is an efficient and cost-effective way to remove sediments and deposits from the pipes and prevent potential water quality issues.
Why does Charlotte Water flush drinking water pipes?

Drinking water pipes need to be flushed out to improve water quality. Over time, very fine sediment from mineral deposits and organic matter settle out of the water and accumulate in the bottom of the pipes. While the sediments are generally harmless, they can make the disinfectant in the water less effective. Additionally, sudden changes in the flow of water can disturb these sediments resulting in cloudy, discolored water.

What should customers expect to see?

While crews have the hydrants open, passersby may notice a lot of water running down the road to a nearby storm drain. At times, the water may be very cloudy or brownish.

Is it common to flush the pipes?

Charlotte Water uses three techniques to clean and maintain the drinking water system: spot flushing, auto flushing, and unidirectional flushing.

Spot flushing is used to address discolored water issues. This includes when drinking water is discolored due to a disturbance in the system such as construction or other hydrant activity. Crews open fire hydrants to flush this water out of the system and bring fresh water into the pipes.
Auto-flushing is similar to spot flushing and is used to maintain water quality by reducing the water age in the distribution system. This type of flushing uses an automatic flushing device, called an auto-flusher, which is connected to hydrants and programmed to flush water at certain time intervals and flow rates. Using an auto-flusher reduces the amount of staff time needed to maintain consistently better water quality at a certain location in the distribution system while using water in a more efficient manner.

Unidirectional flushing is not used in response to a specific water quality issue but instead is used as routine maintenance to prevent problems from arising. The goal of unidirectional flushing is to clean the insides of the water delivery pipes. Cleaning the pipes removes sediment that builds up in the pipes. This reduces the potential for water quality problems. Unidirectional flushing works by forcing water in the pipes to flow at much higher speeds than normal. Flushing crews first open and close valves to isolate sections of pipe, and then the water and any mineral sediments in the pipes are flushed out through an open fire hydrant.

Has the sediment built up in the pipes harmed me?

The sediment from mineral deposits in the pipes is only dislodged when the water is flowing at very high speeds. It has not impacted water quality but may have impacted water pressures and pipe capacity.
Unidirectional flushing will have minimal impacts to customers. If you see hydrant flushing crews working in the area, please drive carefully and treat them like any other road construction crew.
Customers in the immediate vicinity of flushing may notice temporarily discolored water and lower than normal water pressure. The discoloration does not pose a health risk. However, avoid using tap water or running the washing machine or dishwasher until flushing is complete.
If you experience some discoloration in your water from nearby flushing, run the cold water at one tap for 5 minutes to see if it clears. If it does not clear wait an hour and try again. When the water runs clear, flush any taps where discolored water was present. If not clear after one hour, call 311 to report issues.

Construction, General, Infrastructure Improvements, Project & Construction Update, Projects, Repairs and Spills, Wastewater

Easement 101

There is a manhole in my backyard. What does Charlotte Water (CLTWater) do to maintain pipes in my yard?

CLTWater maintains a large network of sanitary sewer or wastewater pipes. These are different from the storm drains along gutters. The wastewater pipes flow our communities’ wastewater from your homes and businesses to a wastewater treatment plant.

An easement agreement is a legal document that gives CLTWater the right to access, maintain, clear, repair, inspect, improve, renovate, and replace facilities (including pipes and manholes) on private property. 

Permanent Easements and Your Property

Below is an illustration of wastewater pipes under the streets and then through woods to collect wastewater and flow downstream to a wastewater treatment plant.

the illustration shows a green line under the streets and connecting to circles noting the manholes and then a larger area of 30 feet to note the easement area required to maintain the pipes and manholes.
What is an Easement?Permanent and temporary construction easements are needed to build and maintain water and sewer pipes. An easement agreement is a legal document that gives CLTWater the right to access, maintain, clear, repair, inspect, improve, renovate and replace facilities on a property. City representatives work with property owners to finalize the terms of the agreement, and compensation is determined through an appraisal.

The easement agreement is signed by both the City and the property owner and is recorded at the Mecklenburg Register of Deeds office.  The agreement is accessible online on the Register of Deeds website. 

NOTE: When purchasing a property, easements are not typically reported as part of a title search for the purchase of title insurance.  The best way to determine if there are any easements is to survey the property.​
What can a property owner do with their land within an easement?Though the property owner still has ownership of the land, there are restrictions to what they can do within an easement.  Any restricted items that are found within an easement during clearing activities will not be replaced at Charlotte Water’s expense.

1. Nothing permanent may be stored or built on top of the easement.  This includes but is not limited to slabs, walls, fill, permanent sheds, pools, gazebos and medium-large size trees.

2. Fences are allowed across an easement if a 12-foot access gate is provided.  Gates shall be dual-locked to allow access by the property owner and the City.

3. Charlotte Water has a ‘Landscaping/Planting Guidelines’ document that can help a property owner decide what to plant within an easement.  Certain plants and trees are restricted, as follows:
+ No trees are allowed within a permanent easement.
+ Plants with an invasive root system are not allowed.
+ Gardens, crops, shrubbery and ornamental trees with shallow roots are acceptable within an easement but not directly over the pipe.

4. Installing a concrete/asphalt driveway partially over the easement is possible but with the following restrictions:
+ The property owner will be responsible for any damage caused to the pipe. Care should be taken in compacting the excavated area to avoid damage to the pipe.
+ The property owner will call 811 have utilities located before digging inside easement.
+ A driveway must be shallow (not to exceed 1 foot and shouldn’t cover any existing access points or manholes).

​​5. Irrigation systems are not permitted within water and sewer easements.  Charlotte Water is not responsible for the repair of any irrigation systems installed within a permanent easement.​
What happens to an easement during construction?Easements are cleared of trees, shrubs, structures, and debris in preparation for construction activities. Existing fences located in the easements are removed and temporary fences are installed during construction. ​​
What happens in an easement after a construction project?Typically, crews will re-grade, fertilize and seed easements after construction. Once restored, property owners can make plans to replace landscaping. Charlotte Water is not responsible for replacing custom landscaping within an easement.  Charlotte Water will also repair and replace pavement that was damaged during construction.​​​
Who can I contact if I have an easement question?Prior to any digging or construction, Call 811 to locate any underground utilities (NC 811, Call Before You Dig) or 800.632.4949.
For water and sewer questions within Mecklenburg County, please call the Charlotte Water Assets Hotline at 704.336.1265 or email cltwassets@charlottenc.gov. Please include the address or parcel ID of the property. For storm water or drainage easements, please call 311 for assistance. 
To identify water or sewer easements on your property, email cltwasbuilts@charlottenc.gov with a location (address/parcel ID), details of the request and your contact information.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Easement information is available on the Storm Water Easement webpage.​
How does CLTWater clear the easement?Tree roots can penetrate wastewater pipes, blocking the flow of wastewater, and eventually causing an overflow.
CLTWater periodically clears permanent easements of trees and debris to prevent overflows.
Debris will be turned into mulch or transported off-site.
When possible, trees on the edge of permanent easements are preserved.
Property owners may see activity for several days until crews are able to access easements from another location.
What is a Road right-of-way?A Road right-of-way is a portion of property near the road that is owned by the property owner and available for the city to use for street maintenance or utilities work.
How can I find out what is under my property?Before you start digging along your property borders — or ANYWHERE NEAR public utilities located on or around your property — pick up the phone and dial N.C. One Call number at 1-800-632-4949.
Who do I contact if I have an easement question?You can contact a Charlotte Water representative at cltwassets@charlottenc.gov.

Transcript for Permanent Easements and Your Property Video

There may be more under your property than you know.

If you own a property or are considering buying, the best way to find utility easements is to have the property surveyed. You can also call 311 or 704 336 7600 and ask to speak to Charlotte Water staff about your property. You may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement to receive information. If your property has an easement, then there are restrictions you need to follow. Permanent structures, irrigation systems, trees and other things that may damage or restrict access to the pipe are not permitted within easements, any restricted items found in the easement will not be replaced or repaired by Charlotte Water. If you have a question about an existing easement, please call or email Charlotte Water first. You can expect to see Charlotte Water crews clearing the easement occasionally. Crews may access your property to repair the pipe and eventually replace the pipe. When possible, Charlotte Water will provide advance notice of activities on your property. Charlotte Water staff is dedicated to providing safe drinking water and wastewater services to our community. To learn more please visit CharlotteWater.org.

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Construction, General, Infrastructure Improvements, News, Projects, Repairs and Spills

Central Avenue Repair Update

Last month on February 7, Crews responded to a wastewater overflow and found a leaking water pipe under the railroad crossing on Central Avenue. Below is an overview of key steps required to complete the work and reopen the road.

Completed steps

•            Stopped a wastewater overflow and found a leaking water main that contributed to the overflow and was not showing above ground.

•            Installed a water valve to maintain service to customers.

•            Turned off leaking portion of the water pipe.

•            Inspected drinking water, wastewater pipes and storm drains to identify all necessary repairs.

•            Installed another valve for pipe installation process.

•            Installed new water pipes to maintain service long-term.

•            Disconnect the leaking pipe from the water system.

•            Excavate and replace an old brick manhole with a new precast concrete manhole.

Ongoing Steps

•            Add a new lining in wastewater pipes under railroad easement at a future date.

•            Excavate and repair storm drain pipes under railroad crossing. Additional work required at a later date.

•            Rebuild and reopen the road.

All of this while maintaining railroad for daily use by CSX. These repairs require extensive coordination with CSX and Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT). The goal is to maintain water service and access to businesses during the repair effort. Local traffic can drive around signs to access open businesses. Crews estimate completing the work around March 17th.

Construction, Infrastructure Improvements

Updated Technology Reveals Details of Water Usage

In the latest move to modernize Charlotte’s infrastructure, Charlotte Water will be updating your water meters with a newer, advanced water meter reading system. This project will take about seven years to completely roll out to all Charlotte residents accordingly to current projections.

“Charlotte Water isn’t changing how we measure water, just how we are reading your meter. We are focusing on providing a better service to our customers and making our operations more efficient,” the project manager for the new advanced water meter project, Jeffrey Jones, wants you to know. 

Currently, residents get monthly updates with their water bill about their water usage. The new transmitter on the water meter will send updates to the cloud every 15 minutes. Residents will be able to see these updates online.

With these updates, residents can spot leaks and adjust usage accordingly. You won’t have to wait until you get your water bill to find out that a toilet upstairs has been running all month. Or that your child is taking hour-long showers. The new updates won’t allow residents to see where the extra water usage is coming from, just when it is. It will be up to residents to determine the source of their higher bills but the extra data will help people to identify problems earlier.

This data will also allow Charlotte Water to anticipate and identify leaks and issues on our end, giving us needed information to better serve customers. We can reallocate resources away from driving meter routes and instead focus on meeting the needs of our customers.

Track your water usage

You will see a read-out like the ones below. The first graph shows an apartment complex’s usage when there is a leak. The second graph shows the same apartment complex’s usage after the leak was fixed. As you can see in the second graph, water usage drops off in the middle of the night when most people are asleep. When water usage is still high during these periods, that indicates a leak. You will have access to graphs like this for your own home. 

Currently, these advanced water meters are only used for a few commercial clients. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Bank of America Stadium, Frito-Lay, Lance, and SouthPark Mall all use the new advanced water meters. Pilots are planned for residential customers, also. 

Advanced Meter Infrastructure allows Charlotte Water to create a better experience for Charlotte Water customers. Having greater access to consolidated data allows Charlotte Water to better prepare for droughts, usage surges, changes in water pressure and temperature, etc. It also will help us to spot leaks in the infrastructure more quickly and expedite repairs. 

One project of many to update our infrastructure

This is only the latest step in modernizing our water infrastructure. Before more recent technology was released, Charlotte Water employees had to manually read each water meter. In 2003, the city started a project to replace the water meters with more modern water meters that allow a car to drive by and pick up the readings using radio signals. This saved the city lots of time and money. 

However, this isn’t a perfect system. For the signal to be picked up, the car must be close to the meter. Every month, 1800 meters are missed in this process. This means that employees manually read those meters. These meters are missed due to equipment malfunction (like batteries dying) or damage. 

As our population continues to grow, those missed readings cause increased burdens on the city’s resources. Also, those transmitters are starting to wear so it is time for many of them to be replaced in the next 5+ years. With this modern technology, Charlotte Water will be able to see digitized readings of usage, and the older water meter reading route will end. This will save the city time and resources that could be better utilized elsewhere. 

Residential pilot in Davidson

In the coming months, Charlotte Water is piloting these water meters in the new Davidson Point neighborhood. This location was chosen because the surrounding water meter routes were full due to the growth in the area. Rather than completely redoing the water meter routes, they were a practical choice for a pilot. 

This is all part of phase one of a three-phase launch of these advanced water meters throughout the city. Also, during phase one, we will be working with consultants who launch similar installations around the world to determine changing business needs and communications. This will help us prepare to answer the public’s questions and communicate well about expectations. 

During phase two, Charlotte Water will be installing these meters in 10,000 buildings. They will be selecting 1-2 areas of the city that include a mix of different customers: single-family homes, apartments, and commercial. This beta release will allow Charlotte Water to start training its employees on the new equipment. After the beta release, they will take a break for a year to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what changes need to be made to replace the rest of the meters.

Phase three is the big launch. Charlotte Water will be replacing all water meters that are over five years old throughout the city. Meters that are less than five years old can be reprogrammed to work with the new system. This requires replacing 270,000 of 310,000 meters in the Charlotte metro area. This will take about five years to complete with 300 meters being replaced per day. All the transmitters will be replaced to work with the new system. 

More information will be released with each phase. Keep an eye on the city website for more information as the project continues. This is one of several projects that the city is working on to update our infrastructure and support our continued growth. Charlotte continues to prove itself as an up-and-coming city that continues to grow as people see our incredible city.