Category Archives: What’s Going On?

Behind the Scenes, Distance Learning, General, How Things Work, News, Water Quality

Say Goodbye to Slimy Mats: Lyngbya Treatment Underway at Lake Norman, Mountain Island & Lake Wylie

young man wearing blue windbreaker and grey ball cap sit in pilot's chair of a fan driven swamp boat on a lake
Lyngbya Treatment on Mountain Island Lake.

If you’ve spent any time around Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, or Lake Wylie in recent summers, you might’ve noticed thick, dark, musty-smelling mats floating near the shore. That fuzzy stuff? It’s not harmless lake gunk—it’s a type of algae called Lyngbya, and it’s been quietly spreading across southern reservoirs, turning once-clear waters into mucky messes.

But there’s good news on the horizon.

Starting this month and continuing through September, a coordinated effort is underway to treat Lyngbya in all three lakes. This initiative is led by the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group, with help from county governments, marine commissions, North Carolina State University, and Duke Energy. The result? A much more streamlined and effective plan to tackle this invasive algae head-on.

What Exactly Is Lyngbya?

Lyngbya (recently reclassified as Microseria wollei) is a type of cyanobacteria—often called blue-green algae—that thrives in warm, nutrient-rich water. Unlike some seasonal algae, Lyngbya doesn’t go away when summer ends. It lives year-round on the lake bottom, then floats to the surface as water temperatures rise, forming dense mats that can clog boat motors, reduce water quality, and frankly, make lakes less enjoyable for everyone.

To give you a sense of how aggressive it can be: in 2024, Lake Gaston on the NC/VA border reported over 1,000 acres of Lyngbya infestation.

What’s Being Done?

For the 2025 season, treatment will cover 60 acres total across the three lakes:

  • 25 acres in Lake Norman
  • 25 acres in Mountain Island Lake
  • 10 acres in Lake Wylie

Monthly treatments will be handled by Aqua Services, Inc., using EPA-approved copper-based algaecides distributed by SePRO Corporation. If you live near the water, expect to see airboats cruising the shoreline mid-month, releasing a bright blue liquid into the water. That’s the algaecide at work—it may look dramatic, but it’s safe for fishing, swimming, and watering your plants.

Will It Work?

The short answer: yes, but it will take time.

Because Lyngbya is tough to kill and can look alive even when it’s not, results won’t be obvious overnight. You might see fewer surface mats this summer, but the real payoff will come after several treatment seasons. This approach mirrors the successful program at Lake Gaston, which is already seeing noticeable reductions in Lyngbya after multiple years of consistent treatment.

What Can You Do?

If you’re a lakefront property owner or just someone who loves spending weekends on the water, stay informed! You can report problem areas or learn more about aquatic vegetation management by emailing AquaticPlants@duke-energy.com or visiting duke-energy.com/AquaticPlants.

Bottom line: Lyngbya might be stubborn, but so are we. With consistent treatment and community awareness, our lakes can stay clean, healthy, and a joy to explore for years to come.

Got questions or curious about what you’re seeing in the water? Drop them in the comments—we’ll help you make sense of the science.

Additional Information:

2024 update about Lyngbya.

Microplastics Reduction Research at Charlotte Water.

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights, General, How Things Work, News, What's Going On?

Charlotte Water is Back in the Reclaimed Water Business!!!

Charlotte Water is once again providing reclaimed water to customers in the University Area, after a 10-year hiatus.  Charlotte Water’s Mallard Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF ) produces high-quality reclaimed water that is distributed to permitted users, who use the water for irrigation and cooling tower water.  The reclaimed water system was constructed and placed into service in 1997 and provided permitted users with high quality reclaimed water until 2014.  When the Mallard Creek WRRF experienced an illicit discharge of PCB’s (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) in 2014, the Reclaimed Water System was shut down to protect permitted user’s systems from potential contamination.

Following the illicit PCB discharge to the Mallard Creek WRRF, the facility underwent a lengthy decontamination process in order to ensure the facility was free of PCBs.  After the decontamination process, the Mallard Creek WRRF was due for  Improvements and Capacity Expansion, due to the growth in the University Area. As the Improvements and Capacity Expansion were nearing completion, discussions with previous and potential new reclaimed water users began, and a timeline was set for the Reclaimed Water System to be re-activated.  The goal was to have the Reclaimed Water System back in service by the Summer of 2024.

The work to get the Reclaimed Water System back in service started in the early part of 2023.  Charlotte Water’s Environmental Management Division (EMD) started discussions throughout the department to plan for restarting the Reclaimed Water System after being dormant for 10 years.The various groups within Charlotte Water that came together for this effort included; Field Operations, Engineering, Water Treatment, Maintenance, Backflow, Customer Service, IT, and Laboratory Services.  This cross-functional team, with Leadership from Billy Allen (CLTWater’s Reclaimed Water System Coordinator), successfully conducted major required activities to get the system ready for operation once again.The major activities that needed to take place, included locating all valves and air release stations, exercising valves, testing backflow preventers, rebuilding air release stations, clearing right of ways, flushing of the reclaimed water pipelines with potable water, pressure testing the system with potable water, repairing two significant leaks, final flushing with reclaimed water, and sampling of the reclaimed water to ensure reclaimed water quality standards are being met.

Once the hard work from this cross-functional team was complete, Charlotte Water was ready to place the Reclaimed Water System back into service for the first time in 10 years.  On the morning of November 7th, a team from Charlotte Water’s EMD and Maintenance Divisions, completed the Switchover from Potable Water to Reclaimed Water, at The Tradition Golf Course, which Mecklenburg County owns.  CLTWater EMD and Maintenance Division Staff accompanied Pinnacle Golf Staff (the contract golf course operator for Mecklenburg County) onto the course, to observe them restarting their irrigation system on reclaimed water and were able to confirm the successful transition back to reclaimed water, by seeing reclaimed water applied to the green on hole 16.

Currently, the only user that is actively receiving Reclaimed Water is The Tradition Golf Course, however the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC) hopes to begin receiving and utilizing reclaimed water sometime in 2025.  UNCC constructed a  reclaimed water pipeline on their campus in 2022.  CLTWater is also looking at ways to further expand the Reclaimed Water System in the University Area, as the use of reclaimed water offsets the use of potable water for irrigation and cooling tower water, as it reduces the impact on Charlotte Water’s Inter-Basin Transfer (IBT ) Certificate.

Many Charlotte Water Staff Members contributed greatly to this monumental effort, and everyone who participated should be extremely proud of this accomplishment!  The Restarting of the Reclaimed Water System could not have happened without your hard work and dedication.  A special recognition to the efforts of Rogers Brown, Corey Butler, Larry Davis, Don Rivers, and Shuhurah Lee, who all helped immensely with this effort in the field, during the past few months!

Behind the Scenes, Employee Spotlights, Events, General, What's Going On?

Sweet Success: Charlotte Water Wins First Prize in Honey Tasting Contest

The Mecklenburg Beekeepers Association hosted its annual honey-tasting contest in early October.  Beekeepers from all over the county were invited to submit honey samples for judging based on taste.  This year, 29 jars were submitted and tasted by more than 40 judges from the beekeeping community and the public.

Using a double-blind taste test and a 3-round elimination bracket, the best-tasting honey selected was a mixture including nectar sources from the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the Irwin Creek WWTP.  McAlpine Creek WWTP has approximately eight hives, and Irwin Creek WWTP has three hives, managed by Charlotte Water staff. 

In addition to the Charlotte Water managed hives, Irwin Creek WWTP also has four hives managed by an external partner and the McDowell Creek WWTP has two hives. 

The quality of the honey the hives produce at the wastewater treatment plants is a testament to everything these facilities stand for… clean water for a clean environment.  Not only do the Charlotte Water treatment plants specifically create clean water, but their large footprints host a tremendous amount of plant and animal diversity.  There seems to be something in bloom at treatment plants, and the bees know it.

The wide range of plants and closed-off nature of the treatment facilities create an oasis for urban wildlife, with all manner of birds, mammals, and insects left to thrive relatively close to the city.

As part of winning the best-tasting honey in Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte Water honey will be sent to a lab for pollen grain analysis to better understand the sources of nectar our bees love so much!

Beehive
Events, What's Going On?

May Community Events With Charlotte Water

Stowe Regional Project STEM/STEAM School Outreach

As part of the ongoing partnership with local communities, the Stowe Regional Project team continues to engage with the local Whitewater schools. During the month of May, CLTWater staff and Stowe team members participated in several activities at the school.

On May 3, CLTWater made a big splash at the Whitewater Middle School Career Fair. This STEM magnet school has been a great neighbor to our new Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility.  CLTWater representatives from Engineering, Field Operations, Customer Service, Laboratory, Learning and Development, and Stowe contractors met with students to talk about career opportunities and what it’s like to work in the water industry.

The Career Day also provided the Stowe Team with an opportunity to meet schoolteachers and staff to begin planning for ESTEM education (environmental, science, technology, engineering and math) opportunities in the 2023-24 school year.

Water Week Celebration 2023

On May 6, over 60 Charlotte Water staff, 7 external exhibitors, and over 400 members of the public celebrated Drinking Water Week at the Quest Center in Huntersville. It was a day of education and celebration to recognize all of the hard work that goes into bringing safe, clean, and reliable water services to our community.

The free, open-to-the-public, family fun day included indoor and outdoor activities and our Water Wagon’s re-launch! Director Angela Charles greeted the public and conveyed the importance of Drinking Water Week in our community. To formally kick of Water Week, Charles read the proclamation that signifies Charlotte’s dedication to clean water for everyone. Attendees of the celebration enjoyed yard games, face painting, snack vendors, information booths and more. External partners included Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, Stormwater Services, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Sustain Charlotte, Carolina Raptor Center, Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, and 811.

Thank you to all those at Charlotte Water who made this event a huge success. It takes a tremendous amount of teamwork to safely gather hundreds of people for a festival and engage meaningfully. Many members of the public (including Miss Huntersville!) conveyed how impressed they were with our engaging and kind staff.

On-going Charlotte Water and DSS Collaboration

On May 7, CLTWater and Department of Social Services’ (DSS) representatives attended a Community Baby Shower sponsored by District 2 PHA OES and non-profit organization Dream Xperience. The recipients of the baby shower goods were young & pregnant mothers in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Charlotte.

During the event, Dee, Charlotte Water’s Financial Aid Program Coordinator and DSS liaison was there to assist members of the public with their water bills. Dee looked up water accounts, explained bills, enrolled customers in payment plans if needed and let customers know what agencies in the community help with water bills. DSS provided applications and information for guests to apply for and receive information about DSS resources.

All excess baby supplies were donated to Angel House Maternity Home.

Charlotte Water and DSS will continue to look for opportunities such as this one to help connect residents who may need help to resources and assistance.

Stowe visits Whitewater Middle School for concert

On May 9, Whitewater Middle School held their year-end orchestra band concert. The Stowe Team attended to provide backpacks, water bottles, and activity books to students as well as project information to parents. This type of outreach has been performed during a variety of extra-curricular activities throughout the school year to engage different groups of parents and students.

Stowe at RiverFest in Belmont, hosted by Catawba Riverkeeper

On May 13, the Stowe Project team went to Belmont and had an awesome time attending RiverFest. The Stowe project team talked to about 200 attendees about the new Stowe facility,  the partnership with Gaston County, and how it would benefits the northwest communities and residents. Display boards illustrated how wastewater pipelines had been installed connecting Mount Holly to the new Stowe Facility, as well as the location of the new Belmont Pump Station and the Paw Creek Pump Station it will connect to, in order to inform residents about routing and construction process. We are thankful for our partners at the Catawba Riverkeepers, for inviting us.