February 2022 – Charlotte Water Completes Remount Water Main Pipe Break Repair, New Pipe Placed into Service
The newly installed pipe was treated and water quality tests were performed before pipe activation.
(Charlotte, N.C.) On Monday, February 14, Charlotte Water crews reactivated the section of 36-inch ductile iron pipe newly installed under Irwin Creek near Remount Road bridge, putting the new water main pipe into service. Crews have been working since November 2021 to repair, remove and replace the previous pipe damaged in a break in October 2021.
During the extensive repair, crews replaced more than 250 feet of pipe. Charlotte Water collaborated closely with County and City partners to protect the integrity of the bridge, the quality of the creek, and the safety of the crews working in the complex location. With the pipe repair completed, Charlotte Water crews will continue site clean-up and restoration for the next few weeks. Charlotte Water will continue to evaluate 21,000 feet of the remaining 36-inch pipe for any possible defects.
“Every day, Charlotte Water routinely repairs and maintains water and sewer pipes across our entire service area,” says Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles. “It’s important that we are doing all that we can to keep customers’ trust in our ability to provide clean, safe and reliable water service to the Charlotte region.”
In 2021, Charlotte Water installed or rehabilitated more than 66,000 feet of pipe across the water system and invested $395.4 million into capital project improvements.
To stay up to date on the most recent events and announcements, follow Charlotte Water on Twitter @CLTWater. For more information on other pipe replacement and restoration projects, visit us at CharlotteWater.org.
Updates November 2021
Charlotte Water crews have been removing and replacing the 36-inch water main pipe that was damaged during the Remount water main break on October 18. While work is expected to continue for the next few weeks, here are a few things you should know about this break, and overall pipe leaks and repair.
Fast Facts:
WHAT is the cause of the Remount water main break?
There are several factors that can cause a pipe to break, including change in temperature, age and external damage. In this case, because it is underground and several feet beneath a creek, it’s hard to determine the exact cause of this pipe break.
WHEN will the repair be completed?
Crews have removed the broken pipe and are replacing it with the new ductile iron pipe. Work is expected to take a few weeks, primarily due to the location, as crews carefully work in the creek and around the bridge.
WHY am I seeing other leaks?
Charlotte Water crews regularly respond to a variety of leaks that are categorized as minor, priority or emergency. We then work quickly to resolve the issue and restore service to customers. Most repairs are on service lines (between the water main under the street and the customer’s water meter). Did you know that under many of our major roads there are multiple water pipes serving different areas of the county?
Repair Awareness
Transcript for this video appears at the bottom of this page.
WHO should I call if I see a leak?
If you see or suspect a leak, call 3-1-1 or 704-336-7600 so that Charlotte Water can quickly dispatch a crew to the location.
WHERE can I go to learn more about Charlotte Water pipe repair and rehabilitation?
Charlotte Water staff are working 24/7 to maintain more than 8,000 miles of water and wastewater pipes. To learn more about a water and sewer improvement project near you, visit the Projects page at charlottewater.org.
Transcript of the video: “Repair Awareness:”
On July 7th, a customer called to report a manhole lid that was missing on a sewer manhole in this area. Our rapid response crew responded, found that the manhole lid needed to be replaced, but also found grease in the manhole. So upon their cleaning, they found that there was major damage to our wastewater pipe and manhole in the underground. This is an old manhole that was made brick and mortar. The bricks were starting to crumble, the mortar was falling into the manhole. We also found that it was leaking, causing a spill, and it became an emergency repair. Once we excavated, we also had to replace storm drain and drinking water pipe in the area. We did a lot of work to minimize the impact on customers. We installed two new water valves so that we could keep customers in this block in service while we do the work underground. This is a challenging project, especially since it’s in the middle of the intersection or in the road. We are trying our best to reopen the road as safely and quickly as we can. We are also making some adjustments to our water pipe here too to minimize future disruptions.