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.
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.
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.
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.
We are grateful for the contribution and sacrifice of Veterans and their families everywhere. We have many Veterans who work for Charlotte Water, and their service is invaluable. This Veterans Day we are highlighting some of our staff members who have shared their insights, experiences, and perspectives they have gained from their service, and the influence it has made on how they work and serve our community today. We appreciate their service and their continued dedication to the community.
William Lee
U. S. Army: 10 years of service; Drill Sergeant (Instructor)
Current Job:
Field Ops Zone Manager: William is currently responsible for the daily operations and leadership for thirty-five employees in Zone 1 which services three townships and the City of Charlotte.
What I learned from my service:
“In my experience of serving my country, it allowed me to gather a vast amount of knowledge and skills that were transferable to me becoming a productive citizen and leader in the civilian world.”
Nathan Kamphaus
United States Coast Guard: 2000-2004 Active; 2004-2008 Reserve
Current Job:
IDS Plans Reviewer: Nathan is responsible for New Service Plan Reviews
What I learned from my service:
“For any public service, I think integrity and honesty whether it be with your shipmates or coworkers is the base of a successful career and reputation. Always try to better yourself….no matter how hard any task looks stay positive and you will make it through.”
Michele Duval
US Air Force: 20 years
Current Job:
Technology Support Specialist: Michele provides technical support for the department.
What I learned from my service:
“In the Air Force, we are all there to support the jets, the pilots, and their mission. My role in that was tech support and now I am providing tech support for the men and women dedicated to providing clean water to the Charlotte community. I’m very proud to be a part of this.”
Michele Duval (center)
Mark Goodman
Army: 11 years; Army Reserve: 31 years
Current Job:
Utility Management Systems Manager in CLT Water Technology: Mark is responsible for planning and leading a variety of billing and customer service technology projects and efforts.
What I learned from my service:
“I learned how to apply an array of leadership skills in very challenging technical environments.”
Tamara Byers
US Army
Current Job:
Human Resources Manager for CLT Water
What I learned from my service:
“Leadership – I learned how to lead a squad and work with people with all types of backgrounds, attitudes, and personalities. This experience has prepared me for my role as an HR Manager. You have to have confidence in the decisions that you make
Team player – In the military you always had the “Buddy System”. You need others in order to accomplish a mission. Each person has their own role but collectively we have the confidence to make it happen.
Adaptability – You have to learn how to adapt in any situation. You learn how to be creative and think outside the box no matter what is thrown at you. This is essential in any job.
Integrity – Being in the military, you have to adhere to a strict moral code. In my role, being an honest person, trustworthy and dependable is essential to the role I currently hold.”
Jason Bromirski
Army Reserve: 2009 – present
Current Job:
Senior Engineer in the Field Operations Division: Jason’s group, Strategic Operations Support, provides condition assessments on our sewer infrastructure by testing our sewer lines for blockages.
What I learned from my service:
“The biggest thing I learned is probably remaining calm under pressure. It doesn’t matter if it is a large break in a sewer line that is dumping into a creek or a large water main that has ruptured, remaining calm and thinking through the problem and the steps needed to repair the situation gives other people confidence that we as a team can get things back to normal. Another important piece is constant communication with staff on-site, so they know the plan, our public affairs staff, compliance personnel, Chiefs of Operations, Deputy Directors, and the Director. They all update internal and external entities with current information, and you would rather have that be an information push than an information pull.”
Jason Bromirski (right)
Ron Wallace
US Army and Army Reserves: 23 years; retired
Current Job:
Treatment Plant Maintenance Supervisor: Ron is currently working on Special Projects for the Maintenance Division (Cathodic Protection, Engineer Parcels, and CityWorks).
What I learned from my service:
“I learned how to be patient with people and listen to their concerns.”
We’re honored to be recognized by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) as a Utility of the Future Today! This is Charlotte Water’s fifth time receiving this recognition, and we are one of 34 utilities being recognized in 2022. This program recognizes utilities that exhibit sustainability and resilience in the communities they serve.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, October 11, Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles received the award during the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) ceremony.
“Charlotte Water’s organizational culture is one of sustainability both now and for the future, embracing innovation, inspiration, and leadership in our community,” said Charles. “We will continue to follow our Charlotte Water Vision: To be a leading water utility recognized for excellence and dedicated to our people, community, region, and environment.”
The Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program seeks to reach deeply into the water sector to form and motivate a community of like-minded water utilities engaged in advancing resource efficiency and recovery, developing proactive relationships with stakeholders, and establishing resilient, sustainable, and livable communities. The Recognition Program, through the aggregation and sharing of utility advancements and experiences, will enable participants across a broad continuum of capacities and capabilities to learn from each other and continually grow and sustain their efforts to be, and continually advance the concept of, the Utility of the Future. (www.wef.org)
We are so proud of the great work our utility has accomplished this year, and we will continue our hard work to be an award-winning utility in 2023.
For more information about our awards, please visit the awards page on our website, and to learn more about WEF and the Utility of the Future Today award, visit their website here.
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