Category Archives: Water Quality

My Water, Water Quality

750 Grass Carp Released in Lake Norman

Charlotte Water, in partnership with NC Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Norman Marine Commission, and Duke Energy released another 750 Grass Carp into Lake Norman. The Grass Carp are part of a broader aquatic weed management program to address the ongoing Hydrilla infestation in the lake. More information regarding the Hydrilla infestation and it’s affect on drinking water intakes can be found here.

Approximately 22,000 Grass Carp have been released into Lake Norman since 2018. The fish have been very effective in managing the Hydrilla infestation such that recreational activities in the lake are fully restored.

To learn first hand what a fish release is like, read our 2019 article about the release of 4,000 Grass Carp at Ramsey Creek Park.

More information about the Lake Norman Hydrilla Management Project.

My Water, Water Quality

Another Year of High Quality Drinking Water: 2019 Report

At Charlotte Water, we know no matter what is going on in the world we need reliable access to safe drinking water because we are customers too. We rely on the same thing we work hard every day to consistently and safely provide to over one million people. We want to be confident in its quality because our families use it.

With this in mind, Charlotte Water is happy to report that for another year, Charlotte’s drinking water quality goes above and beyond state and federal standards. We’ve released our annual Consumer Confidence Report on our website.

Also, keep an eye out because every residence in Mecklenburg County will be receiving their very own Water Quality Report in their mailbox during the first part of May.

When reviewing the report you may notice that in addition to required testing, Charlotte Water has been participating in the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. Charlotte Water is also working with an outside certified laboratory to analyze drinking water samples for over 740 unregulated compounds. These compounds do not have a maximum contaminant limit (MCL) set by the EPA, which means they are not regulated, but Charlotte Water is monitoring them regardless.

The results are very good, for the few contaminants that we did find in the water, they were at very low levels. We will continue to monitor them for any changes in concentration.

The thing to keep in mind is that even if there is the presence of something in your water, that doesn’t mean that it will cause harm. For example, our water has lots of different types of minerals in it like calcium, iron, and sodium but at levels that are not harmful to your health.

Our water quality experts have analyzed the results and we are confident that the quality of your tap water is good. Visit our website and click on the “Water Quality” tab to view the test results.

My Water, Water Quality

Five Reasons Why You Should Drink Tap Water

At Charlotte Water, we are not just employees, we are also customers. Here are a few reasons why we drink tap water too.

#1 – Charlotte Water’s reliable drinking water treatment plants and distribution system are award winning.

Charlotte Water is a member of the Partnership for Safe Water and our main plant (Franklin) received the Director’s Award for Water Treatment in 2018. Charlotte Water is also a designated Utility of the Future and in 2018 received special recognition for the utility’s work in environmental innovation. Our engineers and plant operators build redundancy into every system from our pipe systems to our computer systems.

#2 – Testing, testing, monitoring, and more testing

Charlotte Water has had perfect drinking water permit compliance since January 2015. [The January 2015 violation was an administrative citation.] Our lab staff conduct more than 200,000 monitoring tests every year on more than 150 different constituents. “A significant part of our job is keeping up with the latest regulatory requirements,” said lab manager Alan Hilling. “The work we do isn’t like you see on TV. There is much more involved than simply putting a sample into a machine, pressing a button, and getting instant results.” Check out our Consumer Confidence Report and Annual Water Quality Report. This year’s Water Quality Report will arrive in your mailbox June 2020.

#3 – A gallon of water is less than a penny!

Cost per gallon
Gallon of gas$2.34
Gallon of milk$2.89
Gallon of ice cream$3.09
Gallon of detergent$17.99
Gallon of Charlotte Water$.003 (a third of a cent)
Why spend more?

#4 – Water. It does a body good.

Through the I Heart Water partnership between Charlotte Water and Mecklenburg County Health Department, we know that drinking tap water:

  • Fights fatigue
  • Helps decrease stress
  • Prevents tooth decay
  • Fights off dehydration which can lead to poor organ function and illness
  • Helps you stay cool when it’s hot outside

#5 – The best pre-beer in town

One of the main reasons the brewing industry is thriving in Charlotte is because of the water here.

We spoke with Carolina Brew Master’s President Richard lane for his opinion. “Water quality is paramount to brewing, as water is easily 95% of the finished product.  At a base level, if the water is good enough to drink, it’s good enough to brew beer.”

He went on to say, “Over 100 years ago, when these local beers were being created, they could not have been developed in the other city, strictly due to the minerals in the water, and how those minerals impact the brewing process.  This is also one reason why “drink local” is so meaningful to the craft beer movement.  An IPA brewed in Charlotte will be different from the same IPA brewed in Colorado, or even Raleigh, because the water profile is different.”

Charlotte Water has been in operation since 1899. We serve more than 108 million gallons of water every day to the Charlotte community.

My Water, Water Quality

Your Garden Hose May Affect The Taste of Your Tap Water.

Sadly, this summer heat is not fading as we move into fall. Did you know that hot weather and your garden hose can cause funky drinking water tastes and odors in your plumbing?

Here are some pro tips to help you with this issue:

  • Disconnect the hose and run cold water from your faucet for a few minutes to flush the pipes.
  • Need a sip of water on a hot day? Get it from your internal sources (refrigerator, pitcher) instead of a garden-variety garden hose which aren’t manufactured for delivering potable (drinking) water.

If the taste or odor is still present after detaching the garden hose from external spigots, please call 311 or 704-336-7600. You can learn more about our water quality at charlottewater.org