Category Archives: Water Quality

My Water, Water Quality

PFAS “Forever Chemicals:” What to Know for Charlotte

PFAS have gained national attention as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally in the environment or in the human body. They are part of a family of thousands prevalent compounds that have been used for decades and still used in products like waterproof materials, non-stick pans, and fast food wrappers.

Due to emerging and established health risks, PFAS are becoming more regulated and decreasing in industrial uses. However, many regions still face challenges with upstream industrial use of PFAS chemicals (See more under North Carolina resources below). You may hear about them in the news and from municipalities working to address any concerns in their areas.

Fortunately, our region in Charlotte-Mecklenburg has not had these same concerns with PFAS and PFOA in drinking water. PFAS and PFOA compounds are part of a family of prevalent chemicals that do not break down naturally in the environment, also known as “forever chemicals.”

As of April 10, 2024, the EPA has established an MCL for the PFAS/PFOA family of chemicals. (https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas)

MCLs establish a maximum level for which a contaminant can be present in drinking water and require water service providers to not exceed that level, as per the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which means that these compounds will be regulated. Another thing to note is that an MCL is a long-term exposure level – 70 years of drinking 2.5 liters of water daily with PFOA or PFOS at the MCL level.

Charlotte Water proactively and voluntarily monitors for more than 70 per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals quarterly and meets or exceeds all drinking water standards. Monitoring results (available on our unregulated contaminants page) demonstrate very low levels of PFAS/PFOA, with either undetectable levels of PFAS or levels of PFAS barely above the detection limit. All detections are within the newly established 4ppt MCL. To learn more about your water quality, please visit Charlotte Water’s Water Quality Webpages. Additional resources available below.

Charlotte Water Monitoring:
  • The 2013-2014 UCMR3 included monitoring for six per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds
  • Charlotte Water had no detections for any of the six per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds during UCMR3 monitoring
  • In 2018, Charlotte Water began additional, voluntary monitoring of source water and drinking water.
  • Since 2019, Charlotte Water has been voluntarily monitoring source water and drinking water, on a quarterly basis.
  • Current monitoring includes more than 70 per- and polyfluorinated alkyl chemicals

Charlotte Water Resources:

EPA Resources:

 Other Resources:

My Water, Water Quality

Fixing at-home Leaks

Tackling at home leaks can be a challenge, but small drops can add up to big dollars on your bill, so we’ve provided some quick tips and tricks to help you save water and money:

  • Identify your main shut of valve to your home in case of emergency. They are usually located where your water service line enters your home and are often found in the garage or crawlspace.
  • Replace toilet flappers every few years, make sure they are the correct size, and do a dye test if you suspect a silent leak.
  • Clean and replace gaskets and aerators in faucets and showerheads.
  • Check for spots in the yard that are always wet in case of an irrigation leak.
  • Water service providers participate in the EPA’s Fix a Leak Week each March to support conservation and increase customer knowledge of at home plumbing! You can visit their webpages for more tips and tricks and even an at-home scavenger hunt you can do with the whole family.

My Water, Water Quality

The Value of Water

Charlotte Water participated in the US Water Alliance’s national awareness campaign called Imagine a Day Without Water by producing a series of short videos that highlight the value of water in our region and the collaboration needed to plan for things like droughts, emergencies and even the extensive growth happening in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Our region has unique shared water resources, especially the vast network of lakes that are used for drinking water, energy and recreation.

We are grateful for the hard work of so many regional stakeholders that protect this precious resource. Visit our YouTube playlist, The Value of Water, to watch the full series, with the introductory video below.

Value of Water, part one in a video series.

My Water, Water Quality

How to Report Unauthorized Hydrant Use

Is a company using a fire hydrant on your street?

If so look for the blue hydrant decal. This decal proves they are authorized to use the hydrant and pay for the water they use. 

blue hydrant decal for authorized use of hydrants. this is just a sample.
A blue hydrant decal for authorized use of hydrants. This is just a sample.

CLTWater maintains more than 18,000 hydrants throughout the county. The Charlotte Fire Department and CLTWater periodically use hydrants for fire response, water-quality testing, and to serve contractors and other vendors.

Authorized Users are:

  • Street cleaning vehicles, irrigation trucks, and vendors with truck-mounted tanks that have a hydrant decal on the back of the tank or truck.
  • Fire Departments
  • CLTWater staff

If you see a use of a hydrant, please:
1. Look for yellow hydrant decal on the back of the tank or truck. If there is one, then it is likely authorized. If people are behaving suspiciously then proceed with below steps.

2. Write down

– Name of the company on truck

– License tag number

– Location of hydrant

– Time of the illegal usage.

3. Take a photo if possible.

4. Call 311 or 704-336-7600 and ask to speak to CLTWater Customer Service Dispatch.

Note: Hydrants may also have a device attached to them. These are temporary hydrant meters that help us accurately bill water use. Learn more at charlottewater.org or call 311 or 704-336-7600.