Category Archives: Repairs and Spills

Construction, Repairs and Spills

How Does CLTWater Respond To A Wastewater Overflow?

There is a wastewater spill. What should I do?

Call 311 or 704-336-7600 and say or select ‘wastewater emergency’ to speak to a CLTWater dispatcher. We will respond 24 hours a day.

Photo showing a wastewater manhole in Freedom Park
Wastewater manholes are throughout our neighborhoods. If you see water overflowing, call 311 or 704-336-7600 and select wastewater emergency.

How can I help reduce overflows? 

  • Toss in the trash: paper towels, wipes, hair, cotton swabs, feminine products, dental floss, coffee grounds, and excess food. 
  • Toss in the toilet: only toilet paper. 
  • Drain in the sink: soap suds, small amounts of food from the plate, and liquids. 
  • Always call 811 before you dig.

Take to a full-service recycling center: used and expired oils and grease. 

What causes wastewater overflows?

  • Clogs of wipes, paper towels, leftover kitchen grease, oils, or anything other than toilet paper.
  • Pipe failure (tree falls and breaks pipe, stream/creek erosion causing the pipe to fall into the creek)
  • Tree roots attacking and clogging the pipe
  • Damage by nearby construction. 

How does CLTWater respond?

A rapid response crew will investigate the area and attempt to remove the clog. This work does not impact drinking water quality. Residents and their pets were encouraged to avoid contact with the creek during an overflow response.

How does CLTWater respond to a large overflow?

For example – a tree falls into the creek washing out the creek bank and undermining the wastewater pipe just behind the creek bank. Crews frequently inspect these areas, but erosion can occur quickly during heavy rain events. Crews will:

  • Create a temporary access road or path if necessary to respond.
  • Install a temporary wastewater pipe to bypass the broken pipe and stop the overflow. The pumps and temporary above-ground pipes are checked several times daily to prevent possible wastewater overflows.
  • Stabilize the creek bank.
  • Construct a barrier / temporary stream bank to protect workers.
  • Remove the broken pipe. 
  • Install the new pipe and test it.
  • Rebuild the stream bank with clean fill material (soil). 
  • Remove temporary pipes and pumps.
  • Remove large spoil piles of dirt.
  • Complete grading/drainage.
  • Plant trees/shrubs and seed/straw the area.
  • Restore the stream bank and revegetate.
  • If the greenway was closed during work, it would be restored and reopened. When greenways are affected, CLTWater works with Mecklenburg County on restoration.

How does CLTWater handle tropical storms or heavy rains and prevent spills?

The underground sanitary sewer pipe network is not designed to handle rain, yet the runoff and flooding from large rains inevitably infiltrate the wastewater pipe network. Overflow basins at the five largest wastewater treatment plants capture and later treat more than 160 million gallons of rainwater mixed with wastewater. These equalization basins (EQ basins) help prevent wastewater from overflowing out of manholes in our community.

CLTWater has also added several large wastewater pipes to help reduce the impact of heavy rains. Crews work to prevent rainwater from getting into the sanitary sewer system and are out investigating our system soon after a storm ends.

picture showing excavator beside a creek bank.
Crews create a temporary creek bank to stop the spill. Crews then install pumps to redirect the community’s wastewater around the broken pipe. Crews then add new pipe and rebuild the creek bank.
Construction, Repairs and Spills, Wastewater

Downed Tree Causes Large Wastewater Spill on Long Creek

March 15, 2022 – Charlotte Water crews responded to a broken 30-inch wastewater pipe. A fallen tree eroded the creek bank causing the 30-inch wastewater pipe to collapse. An estimated 484,075 gallons reached Long Creek. Crews quickly set up a barrier to contain the spill and temporary above-ground pipes to pump the community’s wastewater around the broken pipe.

Broken pipe section displaced approximately 100 feet downstream
Crews quickly created a barrier to contain the broken pipe and stop the spilling.
Crews then worked on temporary above-ground pipes to pump around the broken pipe (file photo from a previous repair).
The tree in the photo fell eroding the creek bank and undermining the wastewater pipe until it collapsed.

This spill does not affect drinking water.

How You Can Help

This spill was caused by weather and creek bank erosion but most spills are caused by blockages. You can help reduce blockages and spills.

  • Toss in the trash: paper towels, wipes, hair, cotton swabs, feminine products, dental floss, coffee grounds, and excess food.
  • Toss in the toilet: only toilet paper.
  • Kitchen sink: soap suds, small amounts of foods from plate, and liquids (no fats, oils, or grease).
  • Take to a full-service recycling center: used and expired oils and grease.

Suspect A Sewage Spill? Call 311 or 704-336-7600.

Charlotte Water rapid response crews operate 24 hours-a-day.

Charlotte Water crews maintain more than 4,475 miles of wastewater pipe. Charges from monthly water bills fund preventative maintenance, emergency response, and the safe daily delivery of more than 91 million gallons of wastewater to treatment plants, where wastewater is treated to high water quality standards.

Construction, Repairs and Spills

Remount Repair Updates

February 2022

Charlotte Water Completes Remount Water Main Pipe Break Repair, New Pipe Placed into Service

The newly installed pipe was treated and water quality tests were performed before pipe activation.

(Charlotte, N.C.)  On Monday, February 14, Charlotte Water crews reactivated the section of 36-inch ductile iron pipe newly installed under Irwin Creek near Remount Road bridge, putting the new water main pipe into service. Crews have been working since November 2021 to repair, remove and replace the previous pipe damaged in a break in October 2021.

During the extensive repair, crews replaced more than 250 feet of pipe. Charlotte Water collaborated closely with County and City partners to protect the integrity of the bridge, the quality of the creek, and the safety of the crews working in the complex location. With the pipe repair completed, Charlotte Water crews will continue site clean-up and restoration for the next few weeks. Charlotte Water will continue to evaluate 21,000 feet of the remaining 36-inch pipe for any possible defects. 

“Every day, Charlotte Water routinely repairs and maintains water and sewer pipes across our entire service area,”  says Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles. “It’s important that we are doing all that we can to keep customers’ trust in our ability to provide clean, safe and reliable water service to the Charlotte region.”

In 2021, Charlotte Water installed or rehabilitated more than 66,000 feet of pipe across the water system and invested $395.4 million into capital project improvements.

To stay up to date on the most recent events and announcements, follow Charlotte Water on Twitter @CLTWater. For more information on other pipe replacement and restoration projects, visit us at CharlotteWater.org. 

Updates November 2021

Charlotte Water crews have been removing and replacing the 36-inch water main pipe that was damaged during the Remount water main break on October 18. While work is expected to continue for the next few weeks, here are a few things you should know about this break, and overall pipe leaks and repair.

Fast Facts:

WHAT is the cause of the Remount Water main break?
There are several factors that can cause a pipe to break, including change in temperature, age and external damage. In this case, because it is underground and several feet beneath a creek, it’s hard to determine the exact cause of this pipe break.

WHEN will the repair be completed?
Crews have removed the broken pipe and are replacing it with the new ductile iron pipe. Work is expected to take a few weeks, primarily due to the location, as crews carefully work in the creek and around the bridge.

WHY am I seeing other leaks?
Charlotte Water crews regularly respond to a variety of leaks that are categorized as minor, priority or emergency. We then work quickly to resolve the issue and restore service to customers. Most repairs are on service lines (between the water main under the street and the customer’s water meter). Did you know that under many of our major roads there are multiple water pipes serving different areas of the county?

WHO should I call if I see a leak?
If you see or suspect a leak, call 3-1-1 or 704-336-7600 so that Charlotte Water can quickly dispatch a crew to the location.

WHERE can I go to learn more about Charlotte Water pipe repair and rehabilitation?
Charlotte Water staff are working 24/7 to maintain more than 8,000 miles of water and wastewater pipes. To learn more about a water and sewer improvement project near you, visit the Projects page at charlottewater.org.

Construction, Repairs and Spills

All Hands on Deck: Weekend Leak Blitz

Over the past year, as the world seemed to slow down and almost stop at times, it simultaneously seemed like the workload never missed a beat. As the pandemic ramped up last spring and into the summer, so did our work orders. Due to the pandemic and our crews working staggered shifts, the number of work orders was on the rise.

But when the work needs to get done, it’s “all hands on deck” for our Charlotte Water crews. Over the past several months, our crews have begun conducting a “leak blitz” during one weekend each month to reduce work orders’ backlog. This means that our crews will develop a list of priority leaks to complete throughout the weekend. Approximately 24 crews are assigned to work on the leaks, while other crews are assigned to work on emergency-only leaks as they arise. In some cases, they have completed up to 50 leaks during a leak blitz weekend.

Our most recent leak blitz was this past weekend, February 20th and 21st. Crews were able to catch a break in the rain and get out to fix 29 leaks and counting, with a few work orders still pending. Thanks to our crews’ tremendous effort and hard work, they have been able to reduce the backlog of work orders and will continue to perform leak blitz’s in the coming months to stay ahead of the curve.

Learn more about how our staff prioritizes leaks, and how to protect your pipes during the winter months by reading our blog, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for the latest information from Charlotte Water. To report a leak in your area, please call 311 directly.