Category Archives: General

Construction, General, Infrastructure Improvements

Accomplishing two goals with one project

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.

An excavator filling a dump truck at the pump station.

Behind the Scenes, Construction, General, How Things Work, Repairs and Spills

Minimizing Water Disruptions To Customers: An Emergency Repair on IBM Drive

In July 2025, Charlotte Water faced a significant emergency repair on a water main running along IBM Drive, an essential roadway servicing both commercial and residential areas. The section of the line required urgent repair, but the stakes were high. A complete shutdown would have resulted in water loss for two sizeable businesses as well as a large neighborhood.

The risk of widespread service disruption posed serious consequences for local commerce and daily life. Charlotte Water needed a solution that would allow it to isolate the repair site without interrupting service to its key customers, and our staff rose to the occasion.

“We were able to complete the repair quickly and efficiently without disrupting service to our commercial or residential customers,” said Jason Bromirski, a senior engineer at Charlotte Water. “This is an ideal outcome for such a critical location.”

To maintain service while addressing the damaged main, Charlotte Water installed an insta-valve. The insta-valve can be installed on an existing in-service main and allows us to perform maintenance or repairs without shutting down nearby blocks of the water distribution system.

Some problems require creative solutions, and Charlotte Water works every day to keep our water safe, reliable and flowing to your homes and businesses.

General, Water Quality

Bad Drinking Water Tastes and Odors May Be Coming from Your Own Front Yard

It may seem surprising, but what you do in your front yard can affect the taste and odor of your drinking water.

How? 

Your private plumbing system begins at the end of the meter box. The plumbing in your front yard may be made of PVC, PEX, or other pipe materials that can allow some outside chemical contaminants, such as pesticides and fuels, to seep through their joints. 

Why should I care? 

Damaging your service line can be costly, often requiring thousands of dollars for replacement. Read the stories below to learn more from real-life events.

Real-Life Examples

– A customer parked their car over the grass between the meter box and their house. The car’s oil leak seeped into the service pipe. 

– A customer attempted to eliminate an underground wasp nest by pouring gasoline into the hole. The gas flowed beside the private service line, causing odor and taste issues, and had to be replaced. 

– A customer reported a chemical odor and taste that was traced to a painter washing a brush with turpentine and pouring the turpentine on the ground over the water line.

– A customer reported a plastic odor and taste, which was traced a garden hose filled with water in the heating up from the sun and creating a bad taste. 

– A customer reported a chemical soapy odor and taste that was traced to a plant fertilizer bottle attached to the hose.  A low-pressure event can cause water to be back-siphoned into the house if there is no backflow prevention device.

Tips 

  • Call NC811 before you dig.
    • Most service lines run straight from the meter box to the home. Is anything leaking above the service line, like a car?
    • Was anything sprayed or poured on the front yard between the water meter and the home?
  • Run cold water for 10 minutes to see if the problem continues. 
  • Check all faucets to see if the issue is isolated to one faucet or affects the entire house. 
  • Talk to your neighbors to see if they are experiencing similar issues. 
  • If you notice any unusual odor or taste, call 311 immediately and say or select water quality emergency.
  • Drain odors can often be mistaken for tap water odors.  Pour a glass of water and move away from the sink drain.  Smell the glass of water; if no odor, check the drain and perform cleaning. 
  • Aging water heaters can cause odors.  If your cold water has no odor but the hot water does, perform maintenance on your water heater as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Events, General, History, Infrastructure Improvements, Project & Construction Update, Projects

Mount Holly Pump Station Officially Commissioned

Charlotte Water and the City of Mount Holly celebrated the official commissioning of the Mount Holly Pump Station at Tuckaseege Park. This transformative moment reinforces our commitment to providing the best regional water infrastructure for our community.

Group photo of Charlotte Water and Mt. Holly attendees
Group photo of Charlotte Water and Mt. Holly attendees
Group photo of Charlotte Water and Mt. Holly attendees
photo of Mt. Holly Flag from a fire truck in the foreground and a Charlotte Water flag waving from a crane at the construction site.
City of Charlotte Councilmember Lawana Mayfield handing a plaque to Mt Holly Mayor David Moore.
CLTWater Director Angela Charles addressing the croud with screens showing Mt Holly's wastewater flowing to CLTWater long creek pump station and eventual Stowe Regional Water Recovery Facility
Photo of elected officials turning the large blue valve to open the flow and move Mt Holly's wastewater under the Catawba River to Mecklenburg County.

Connecting Communities

This commissioning ceremony represents more than just flipping a switch; it’s the culmination of extensive regional collaboration and engineering innovation. The new pump station now connects Mount Holly’s wastewater system to Charlotte Water’s regional network through specially installed pipelines running approximately 65 feet beneath the Catawba River and Long Creek.

How It Works

  • Wastewater travels from Mount Holly homes and businesses to the new Mount Holly Pump Station
  • The station then pumps wastewater through underwater pipelines to Charlotte Water’s Long Creek Pump Station
  • From there, wastewater will be treated at existing Charlotte Water facilities

Partnership for the Future

This commissioning is a huge milestone in the larger Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility project. By transitioning Mount Holly’s wastewater service to Charlotte Water, we’re creating a more resilient and sustainable system that will protect water quality in the Catawba River while preparing our communities for future growth.

We extend our gratitude to everyone who joined us for this historic celebration. This achievement represents true connection across communities, demonstrating what’s possible when we work together to protect our water resources for generations to come.

Learn more at https://stoweregionalwrrf.com/.