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4222 Westmont Drive Charlotte, NC 28217

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WASTEWATERPERFORMANCE

REPORT

JULY 1, 2018 - JUNE 30, 2019

Wastewater Performance Report August 2019 1

I. General Information

Name of Regulated Entity and Responsible Person

City of Charlotte

David Czerr, Interim Director

Charlotte Water (CLTWater)

Administration Division

4222 Westmont Drive

Charlotte, NC 28217

704-336-4407

Applicable Permits

There are seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) owned and operated by

Charlotte Water (CLTWater). Below is a list of these facilities and their applicable

NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit number. Included

with the list of facilities is the name of the Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC) at

the facilities and the site telephone numbers.

WWTP

NPDES Permit

Number ORC Phone

Irwin Creek WWTP NC0024945 Michael Lingerfelt 704-336-2572

Mallard Creek WRF NC0030210 Henry Eudy 704-336-1024

McAlpine Creek WWMF NC0024970 Sandy Kim Neely 704-542-0736

McDowell Creek WWTP NC0036277 Darrell DeWitt 704-875-6443

Sugar Creek WWTP NC0024937 William Allen 704-432-2510

Ashe Plantation WWTP NC0065749 Jeremy Nance 704-634-3389

Oxford Glen WWTP NC0063584 Jeremy Nance 704-634-3389

In addition to those seven plants, CLTWater sends wastewater to the Rocky River

Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant through an agreement with The Water and

Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County (WSACC). CLTWater also accepts flow from

Union County to McAlpine Creek WWMF.

WW COLLECTION NCDWQ Permit Number ORC Phone

4100 W. Tyvola Rd. WQCS00001 Steven Wrobleski 704-432-2748


Description of collection and treatment systems

Charlotte Water (CLTWater) collects wastewater from approximately 264,981

households and businesses throughout the county. Wastewater is collected and

directed (via gravity flow supported by sewage lift stations) to one of seven

CLTWater wastewater treatment plants or the Rocky River Regional Plant (owned

and operated by the Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County) where it is

treated. An average of 91 million gallons of wastewater is treated and discharged

each day from CLTWater plants. CLTWater contributes an average of 4.58 million

gallons a day (MGD) to the Rocky River Plant. CLTWater also treats roughly 2.45

MGD from Union County at CLTWater’s McAlpine Creek Plant or roughly 4.6% of the

52.5 MGD treated at that plant.

More than 300 of CLTWater’s 997 employees work to maintain 4,375.98 miles of

collection pipelines and 82 wastewater lift stations throughout the county. The

gravity wastewater pipes in this system range in size from 8 inches in diameter to

78 inches in diameter.

Each of CLTWater’s wastewater treatment plants applies primary, secondary and

advanced treatment to the waste stream. Large solid particles and inorganic

materials are removed by screening and settling. The wastewater is treated

biologically to remove dissolved pollutants. Disinfection reduces bacterial and

pathogenic materials. Finally, the waste stream passes through granular filters to

remove very small particles that may not have been removed through the settling

process. The treated water is released to the nearby creek.


1. Primary Treatment

Solid particles & objects are captured by screens, grit chambers, and primary

clarifiers.

2. Aeration/Secondary Treatment

Wastewater is aerated to support growth of microorganisms that remove

harmful pollutants.

3. Clarification

Solids and microorganisms settle out in large basins.

4. Advanced Treatment

Wastewater flows through granular filters to remove fine particles. Nutrient

levels are reduced at McDowell and McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment

Plants.

5. Disinfection

Water is disinfected to remove any remaining pathogens, and then the treated

water is released into creeks.


II. Summary of System Performance

FY19 Performance

Charlotte Water successfully collected and treated 99.9 percent of the more than 33

billion gallons of wastewater the community produced in the past fiscal year. There

were 162 sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in our community, a decrease of two

spills compared to the year before.

Yearly SSOs vs 5-Year Moving Average

The number of spills per 100 miles of pipe continued to decline from 10.8 in 2007

to 3.7 spills in fiscal year 2019 as illustrated by the table on page 5.

362

358 349335

281260 247

177

224

189164

162

90

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

SSO

s

Fiscal Year

Yearly SSOs 5-Year Moving Average Reportable SSOs


Number of SSOs/100 Miles vs 5-Year Moving Average

Inspection crews and our customers find overflows. Overflows from the wastewater

collection system are discovered during routine inspections of the system and also

through reports from the public to 311. CLTWater notifies media any time a

sanitary sewer overflow results in 1,000 gallons or more reaching surface waters or

any size overflow reaching recreational waters. A legal notice is posted in the

Charlotte Observer when overflows of 15,000 gallons or more reach surface waters.

Crews also use door hangers to notify customers when appropriate, which is a

permit requirement.

This annual report includes all incidents where wastewater escaped out of a public

manhole or public collection system pipe before reaching proper treatment,

including spills less than required reporting thresholds (i.e. less than 1,000 gallons

or any amount reaching surface water). There were 90 reportable spills (by state

definition) during fiscal year 2019, 17 less than the fiscal year 2018 total of 107. All

spill response protocols are followed regardless of the spill volume or reporting

status. Private spills and sewer backups inside homes are not included. The report

summarizes spills (both reportable to the State and those escaping the sewer) and

other challenges at wastewater treatment plants.

10.8

9.28.9 8.6 8.2

6.76.2 5.9

4.2

5.3

4.43.8

3.7

2.1

0123456789

101112

SSO

s/1

00

Mile

s

Fiscal Year

SSOs/100 Miles 5-Year Moving Average Reportable SSOS/100 Miles


CLTWater employees work 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, to prevent and

respond to overflows. Crews prevent overflows by clearing pipes of tree roots and

grease, as well as replacing broken and aging pipes. CLTWater has increased its

efforts to educate customers about properly disposing of fats, oils and grease

(FOG).

Performance Highlights

• CLTWater celebrated some important milestones in FY2019 even as it took

numerous actions to prevent overflows and protect water quality through

effective wastewater treatment.

• Our wastewater treatment plants met 99.97 percent of all permitted discharge

limits.

• All seven wastewater treatment plants earned Peak Performance Awards from

the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for the calendar year

ending 2018. NACWA Peak Performance Awards recognize wastewater

treatment professionals throughout the nation for protecting the environment

and public health through outstanding treatment and discharge regulatory

compliance. McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant was awarded its

seventh Platinum Award for eleven consecutive years of perfect compliance.

McDowell Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant earned their second Platinum

Award, and their sixth out of last eleven years. Oxford Glen, Mallard Creek, and

Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plants earned Gold Awards for zero permit

violations in a one-year period. Ashe Plantation and Irwin Wastewater

Treatment Plants earned a silver with each having only one permit violation in a

one-year period. Over 6,200 compliance tests were conducted during the 2018

calendar year.

• 21.5 miles of wastewater pipe and 301 manholes were rehabilitated or replaced.

• 259 miles of wastewater pipe were treated with root control chemicals.

• 921.83 miles of wastewater lines were cleaned (including some multiple

cleanings in the same location) by CLTWater Field Operations Staff and an

additional 49.52 miles of pipe were cleaned by contractors.

• 248 wastewater service connections were replaced.

• 23 miles of rights of way were cleared by contractors to maintain access to off-

street sanitary wastewater pipes and to help prevent root intrusions. An

additional 60.25 miles were cleared by CLTWater staff.

• 172 miles of pipe were closed circuit television recorded (CCTV) for inspection by

CLTWater staff and contractors.


• There are 82 Wastewater Lift Stations serving the CLTWater service area. Staff

performed 161 preventative maintenance/electrical tasks for a total of 3,180

work hours. This does not include daily/weekly station checks, wet well cleaning,

emergency generator testing, or emergency/routine repairs. Mint Hill Commons

Lift Station was added and a new Steele Creek Lift Station began service.

• McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant captures and converts methane

gas (a byproduct of wastewater treatment) into a fuel for electricity production

and useful heat. In the past 12 months the engine has had an average uptime of

70%. The generator has created more than 15 billion kilowatt hours, resulting in

a power credit of close to $600,000 total. Running at 1 megawatt (MW), the

engine puts out the equivalent of about 5 acres of solar, around the clock and

even on cloudy days. Methane gas is also generated at Irwin, McDowell, and

Mallard WWTPs. Methane gas is used to generate heat required for anaerobic

digestion to treat the solids produced during the treatment process.

Capital & Community Investment Highlights

• Ayrsley Gravity Sewer Replacement Phase 2 started construction in August

2017 and is complete. This is a $2.5 million investment to serve the growing

population in the South Tryon I-485 area.

• Beards Creek Wastewater Improvement Project started construction in

September 2018 and will be complete by end of summer 2019. Crews are

upsizing 4,100 linear feet (LF) of pipe to serve growing area in eastern

Mecklenburg County This is an investment of $4 million. • Belmont and Optimist Park Wastewater Pipe Replacement (Little Sugar Creek

Tributary Trunk Sewer North Tryon area) began in October 2018 and will be

complete by April 2021. Approximately 6,327 LF of pipe is being upsized to

serve the growing area around Belmont and Optimist Park neighborhoods.

The project is an investment of $12.3 million.

• Briar Creek Relief Sewer Project (Phase Three) began in 2016 and is complete

with substantial completion as of February 10, 2019. • Coffey and Taggart Creek Outfall project provides for the evaluation, design,

and construction of necessary improvements to the Taggart Creek Outfall to

help manage flows and support growth from Taggart, Long, and Paw basins.

• Doby Creek Sanitary Sewer Pipeline Improvements serves areas being

developed along the Blue Line Light Rail Extension. The pipeline project

replaces 15,600 LF of gravity sewer to meet projected demands of the sub-

basin. The project is 76% complete.


• Four Mile Creek Tributary Wastewater Project is upsizing 4,300 LF of pipe to

serve growing area in Town of Matthews. The project started in April 2019

and should be complete in first quarter of 2020. This is an investment of $2.6

million.

• Irvins Creek Tributary Wastewater Improvement Project is installing 3,850 LF

of pipe to serve Town of Mint Hill neighborhoods. The project started in

January 2018 and be complete by end of 2019. This is an investment of $3.9

million.

• Irwin Creek Tributary Wastewater Pipe Replacement Project (Fieldcrest Road

to Barringer Drive) installed 3,988 LF of larger pipe to serve South Charlotte

area. This is an investment of $2.5 million.

• Irwin Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Phase II provides

renovations and equipment upgrades to the grit facility, primary and

secondary clarifiers, aeration basins, chemical feed facility, blower building,

filters, power distribution system, yard piping and instrumentation and

controls.

• Little Sugar Creek Tributary to Fairview Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements

project provides for 6,400 LF of 30 & 24 inch sanitary sewer lines that parallel

Fairview Road to the south from Park Road Park to Sharon Road. The project

was substantially completed in April 15, 2019.

• Mallard Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Rehabilitation and UV Upgrade

consists of the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Final Clarifiers and their

pumping stations, Effluent Filters, and UV Disinfection System. The

preliminary engineering for this project was completed in fiscal year 2018

and detailed design is ongoing. Construction is expected to start in January

2020.

• McAlpine Wastewater Treatment Plant and Potable/Non-Potable Reliability

Improvements project included the improvements to the potable/non-

potable water systems, rehabilitation of the intermediate lift station, loading

and launching of the pump stations and waste activated sludge force mains

from Sugar Creek WWTP, and improvements to the McAlpine entrance road.

The project started in fiscal year 2017 and is 94% complete. This is a $6.5

million investment.

• McMullen and McDowell Basin Sanitary Sewer Improvement Projects are two

basin-wide projects that have completed or nearly completed their Phase 1

portion detailing infrastructure condition assessments, population

projections, basin modeling as well as inflow and infiltration improvements.

Both projects are anticipated to begin Phase 2 – engineering services for

design and construction.


• Paw Creek Sewer Outfall Replacement Project upsizes 13,000 LF of 18-inch

and 24-inch pipe to serve growing area in western Mecklenburg County. The

project started in April 2019. This is an investment of $4.5 million.

• Steele Creek Lift Station Replacement project isa new 30 MGD lift station

facility and 35,000 LF of 36-inch and 63-inch sanitary sewer force main will

provide adequate regional sanitary sewer capacity to the Steele Creek area.

This project supports long term growth and is 99 percent complete. This is an

investment of $44 million.

• Steele Creek Outfall project was bid and will begin construction July 2019.

This 11,000 LF of wastewater pipe will serve a growing area in southwestern

Mecklenburg County.

• Stevens Creek Lift Station, Force Main & Gravity Sewer will serve the Goose

Creek and Stevens Creek drainage basins, which includes the Town of Mint

Hill. The project is the first step in providing public sewer service to an area

that is predominantly on septic systems. This project will also facilitate the

removal of a nearby package wastewater plant. The construction cost is

$12.1M and is anticipated to begin construction in late summer 2019 and be

completed by the end of 2020.

• Sugar Creek 54-inch Sanitary Sewer Rehab (Part of Large Diameter Sanitary

Sewer Rehabilitation) project was completed. Approximately 6,400 LF of

deteriorated reinforced concrete pipe, located in the Sugar Creek basin, was

renewed with a cured-in-place pipe.

• Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Reliability Improvements will

provide improvements to the aeration system, main lift station, effluent filter,

potable and non-potable water systems, final clarifier launder,

instrumentation and controls and chemical phosphorus removal capability.

Construction started April 2018 and will be substantially complete by end of

calendar year 2019. This is an investment of $23.5 million.

• Wilmore Neighborhood Wastewater Pipe Replacement Project began

October 2018 and will be completed by November 2019. Approximately

6,246 LF of pipe is being upsized to serve the growing area around Wilmore

and SouthEnd neighborhoods. The project is an investment of $7.2 million.


Fats, Oils and Grease Education

• Charlotte Water started a fats, oil and grease reduction effort during the late

1990s to educate customers about food related clogs that lead to sanitary sewer

overflows. In 2017, Charlotte Water rebranded to FlowFree to focus on other

overflow contributors now that grease related spills continue to decline.

• City staff inspected grease-handling facilities at 5,449 food service

establishments and restaurants (not including follow-up inspections) to ensure

proper grease disposal.

• Staff issued 231 Notices of Deficiency (NOD) of which 174 returned to

compliance and 30 are still under investigation.

• Staff issued four Notices of Violation (NOV).

• In total, 44 grease traps were installed by businesses to fulfill NOD

requirements.

• The City continued its educational program to teach proper disposal of pipe-

blocking materials.

• Inspectors mailed information to 1,236 customers near spill sites and handed

out information to 2,231 customers in apartments / multi-family complexes.

• Staff conducted presentations to more than 1,640 children and adults. Multiple

Earth Day events also provided opportunities to distribute FlowFree scrapers,

pens and other items.

• CLTWater continues to use door-hangers specifically for maintenance personnel

or property managers of apartment or multi-family complexes. This reinforces

best management practices for prevention.

• Staff continues to provide bilingual door hangers and promotional items for

property managers to give to new residents.

• CLTWater created the Pipes Hate Wipes campaign to educate residents about

the impact flushable wipes have on the collection system and wastewater

treatment plants. Seven 6,15 and 30 second videos were created and 10% of the

population of Mecklenburg county was reached via a three-month social media

campaign using paid Facebook/Instagram advertisements and YouTube Pre-roll.

• Communications staff posted alerts on Nextdoor to inform residents of spills

that exceeded 1,000 gallons in creeks or any amount that reached recreational

water.


Continuing Challenges

Wastewater Collection Challenges

The greatest continuing wastewater challenge in this community – and in others

across the U.S. – is sewage overflows. Of the 162 sewer spills that occurred, pipe

failure accounted for most of the sanitary sewer overflows. The ‘pipe failure’ and

‘other’ categories include damage caused by contractor error. CLTWater works with

contractors to prevent infrastructure damage and situations that could cause an

SSO.

The largest individual spill was on September 4, 2018 near 3900 Billy Graham

Parkway. An estimated 2,658,000 gallons reached Taggart Creek in the Catawba

River Watershed. The overflow was caused by a fallen tree breaking a wastewater

pipe. Crews quickly found the overflow and began pumping wastewater around the

broken pipe to stop the discharge into the creek. CLTWater is proactively walking

easements and removing trees before they can cause an SSO. This one spill

accounted for more than 59.5 percent of the total gallons spilled this year.

CLTWater experienced 10 spills that were caused by heavy rain events exceeding

capacity of wastewater pipe or manhole. Severe natural conditions, including

Hurricane / Tropical Storm Florence and Michael, caused several large overflows

totaling 1,656,632 gallons. No matter the weather, CLTWater continues to reduce

spills and quickly respond to the things that are beyond our control. CLTWater

continues to outperform the five-year moving average (graph on pages 4 and 5).

Community investments in large relief sewers, equalization basins, and staff

training help us enhance our wet weather spill prevention and response even as

the collection pipe system is growing.

The Billy Graham Parkway overflow combined with the volumes of the 10 other

spills caused by severe natural conditions totals 4,314,632 gallons or more than 97

percent of total gallons spilled for the year.

CLTWater also experienced two spills that were caused by inflow and infiltration (I &

I). Sanitary sewer pipes are not designed to collect and transport rain water but

occasionally water will enter the pipe. CLTWater crews investigate and repair

locations where water enters the sanitary sewer pipe network.


Thirty-seven of the spills were 100

gallons or less with eighteen of those

being 50 gallons or less which are

examples of our staff’s dedication to

respond quickly.

Tree root blockage number of

overflows are down. CLTWater has the

one of the largest root control

programs.

Mainline blockages, by all causes and

not related to overflows, have been

reduced from 122 in fiscal year 2018 to

101 in fiscal year 2019. This reduction

is a good indication of effective pipe

cleaning efforts.

Staff are researching SSO clusters to identify and prioritize work to minimize

overflows. They are also investigating possible solutions to prevent low pressure

sewer system overflows.


Fiscal Year 2019 Overflows by Primary Cause

Grease and other blockages that lead to sewer overflows are cleared by CLTWater

crews, using various cleaning methods, including mechanical rodders and truck-

mounted water jets. After cleaning, if follow up CCTV discovers damaged pipe, a

repair is initiated based on CLTWater’s “Find and Fix” protocols. The spilled

wastewater can sometimes be captured and pumped back into the sewer system.

CLTWater Rapid Response Crews are quick to respond when notified of a possible

spill. Crews responded to more than 90 percent of the spills within 60 minutes and

99.4 percent of the spills within 120 minutes. The average for all response was 30

minutes. The state standard for response is 120 minutes or less.

Field Operations – Critical Assets Group

Regular inspections are performed by Field Operation - Critical Assets group which

was established to inspect all high priority and vulnerable lines. The Critical Assets

group has expanded their inspection responsibilities to include additional areas not

previously considered vulnerable. In addition, as part of a collaboration effort with

Debris: 35 spills, 21.6%

Grease: 28 spills, 17.3%

Roots: 26 spills 16%Inflow and Infiltration: 2 spills,

1.2%

Other: 16 spills, 9.9%

Severe Natural Condition: 10 spills,

6.2%

Vandalism: 4 spills, 2.5%

Pipe Failure: 41 spills, 25.3%


the Mecklenburg County Water Quality group this plan has resulted in finding

numerous stream bank erosion problems, not previously seen, which threaten

sanitary sewer lines. A contract for streambank restoration, which protects sanitary

lines, was established several years ago and has been renewed.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Challenges

Charlotte Water’s wastewater treatment plants met 99.97 percent of all discharge

limit tests set forth by our NPDES permits but our commitment is 100 percent

compliance. Staff continues to improve maintenance capabilities and overall

performance. Major rehabilitation and improvement projects help maintain

compliance.

On January 25th 2019, an estimated 27,600 gallons of waste escaped a sludge line

near 10301 Kilmory Trace and entered Lower Little Sugar Creek. Crews responded

and repaired the sludge line which was damaged by a private contractor.

CLTWater had two permit violations in fiscal year 2019. Ashe Plantation WWTP had

a monthly average ammonia violation in February 2019. Irwin Creek WWTP

exceeded its daily maximum fecal coliform limit in June 2019. A Notice of

Deficiency was issued for the Ashe Plantation incident and NCDWR has issued a

Notice of Violation for the June Irwin Fecal result.

Charlotte Water System Protection

CLTWater System Protection operates within CLTWater’s service area to enforce

federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to discharges to the sanitary sewer,

including protection of workers and treatment processes from pollutants harmful

to people or the environment. System Protection includes the Industrial

Pretreatment Program and the Commercial Source Program.

The Pretreatment Program identifies, permits, and regulates Industrial Users and

others to keep unsuitable discharges out of the wastewater treatment plants. The

Commercial Source Program, also referred to as Flow Free, inspects and regulates

Commercial Users, such as food service establishments, to keep unsuitable

discharges such as fats oils and grease out of the collection system and wastewater

treatment plants.

While industrial and commercial compliance is extremely high, identifying sources

of potentially harmful discharges is an ongoing challenge. In fiscal year 2019, the


Trunkline Monitoring program also continued, enabling CLTWater’s System

Protection and Water Quality staff to closely observe what industrial, institutional,

and commercial customers discharge to the wastewater treatment plants, identify

potential problem areas, and protect the collection system, wastewater line

workers, treatment plants and the environment.

• There were over 200 industrial inspections and site visits in the past fiscal

year.

• As part of the Commercial Source program, food service establishments and

other grease producing businesses are identified and inspected on an annual

basis.

• During fiscal year 2019 the Commercial Source program initiated an

outreach program specifically focused on multi-family housing properties.

• CLTWater honored 26 local companies with Environmental Excellence

Awards in fiscal year 2019 including:

o 4 Platinum recipients for at least five consecutive years of Gold level

compliance and reporting,

o 16 Gold recipients for 100% compliance with permit limits and

reporting,

o 6 Silver recipients for 90% compliance with permit limits and 100%

compliance with reporting, and

o 1 Crown Award recipient in the category of Industrial Pretreatment.

• CLTWater recorded 301 industrial permit limit violations for effluent samples

collected at Significant Industrial Users (SIU) during the past fiscal year,

resulting in a Notice of Violation, Notice of Non-Compliance, Administrative

Order, or similar assessment.

• 35 Notices of Violation with Civil penalties were assessed to users during the

fiscal year for permit limit exceedances and other violations.

Wastewater Capacity Needs

In 2007 a study of the McAlpine, Irwin and Sugar creek basins was completed to

help identify our community’s future wastewater treatment capacity needs through

the year 2030. Recommendations from the study have resulted in the

implementation of extensive reliability improvements projects at the Irwin, Sugar,

and McAlpine Wastewater Treatment Plants. The Long Creek Lift Station was also

identified to be converted into a regional wastewater treatment plant which will be

named the Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility.


Charlotte Water’s Wastewater Master Plan is a comprehensive planning effort to

evaluate system needs across the entire wastewater system. This planning effort is

the first-time wastewater system needs have been assessed on a system wide scale

and will provide a guiding framework and vision for system performance as well as

a capital expenditure roadmap to ensure priorities are addressed in a cost effective

manner. The master plan’s completion is expected to be in the fall of 2020.

Major studies of the Mallard and McDowell sewer basins have been completed and

provide recommendations to address existing collection system and treatment

capacity issues. In accordance with the recommendation from the Mallard basin

study, work has begun to expand the Mallard Creek WRF capacity from 12 to 13.1

MGD by the end of 2021 with additional phases of expansion to follow.

In recent years CLTWater, Mount Holly, and Belmont entered into Memorandums

of Understanding to create the partnership needed for a new, regional wastewater

plant. CLTWater purchased 180 acres of land at a former Clariant industrial plant

site along with the phosphorus and nitrogen discharge permit allocation associated

with the industrial plant. The agreements and nutrient allocation purchase will

facilitate compliance with the Lake Wylie nutrient TMDL while planning and

construction of the regional plant progresses. An Environmental Impact Statement

was completed with N.C. DEQ in March 2015 and a preliminary engineering report

completed in 2017. CLTWater submitted the NPDES permit application for the new

regional facility, the Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility named in

honor of former Charlotte Water utility director Joe C. Stowe Jr., which will treat

about 12 mgd with a possible expansion to 25 mgd at a future date if necessary.

Development along the city’s light rail Blue Line prompted a study of the Upper

Little Sugar Creek basin, which includes much of the eastern half of the uptown

Central Business District (CBD) where infill development has been occurring at

record pace. The study will coordinate several existing construction projects already

underway within the basin with overall basin growth projections to recommend

improvements to capacity in the basin’s larger trunk sewer. An additional modeling

study for smaller diameter sewers along the blue line corridor is also underway to

provide tools necessary for Charlotte Water staff to analyze capacity and prevent

local sewer overflows.

CLTWater’s Capacity Assurance Program (CAP) was implemented on January 1,

2009. CAP helps CLTWater prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) that could be

caused by adding too many customers’ wastewater flow to an existing pipe.


Developers are encouraged to apply for a CAP review during the early stages of

requesting building permits or rezoning. This review process is performed at no

cost to the applicant. Engineers analyze hydraulic models, past spills in the area and

other field data to verify that there is adequate capacity in the pipes downstream. If

no major sewer capacity limitations are found during the review, applications are

generally approved in 30 days. Some reviews lead to identification of capital

pipeline projects to improve the service level to our current customers as well as

accommodate projected development.

Examples of projects identified from the CAP reviews are mentioned on pages 7-9.

III. Notification

Sanitary sewer overflow and wastewater treatment plant details are included in

Sections V and VI.

This report is available to the users or customers of this system by visiting

http://charlottewater.org. Printed copies are available at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Government Center at 600 E. Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, Charlotte Water

buildings at 4222 Westmont Drive, Charlotte, NC 28217 and at 5100 Brookshire

Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28216. Customers of this system will receive a summary

version of this report and will be notified of the availability of this comprehensive

version via a bill insert in the September water bill. A news release will be issued to

local media outlets. In addition, the summary version will be translated into Spanish

128

170

201

240

355

387

391

344 (projected 600+ by end of 2019)

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019*

*January - June 2019

Capacity Assurance Requests

http://charlottewater.org/


and advertised during the month of September in a regional Spanish-speaking

newspaper. The Spanish version will also be on the Charlotte Water website.

IV. Certification

I certify under penalty of law that this report is complete and accurate to the best of

my knowledge. I further certify that this report has been made available to the

users or customers of the named system and that those users have been notified

of its availability.


V. Listing of Sewer Spills The following is a list of spills (in gallons) from the public wastewater system that occurred between July 1, 2018 and

June 30, 2019.

Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish

Kill? Address Primary Cause

7/2/18 369 0 Stevens Creek No 11631 Lawyers Rd, Mint Hill

Other - contractor hit

force main

7/3/18 25 0 Lake Norman No 17918 Nantz Rd, Cornelius

Other - vehicle

damaged service

7/5/18 115 0 Upper Little Sugar No 6404 Elgywood Ln Grease

7/6/18 900 675 Little Sugar Creek No 6620 Candlewood Dr Other – heavy rain

7/9/18 39 0 Irwin Creek No 103 N Ramsey St Roots

7/9/18 350 0 Long Creek No 1522 Long Paw Ln Debris In Line

7/16/18 2601 2500 Mallard No 325 Caprington Av Debris In Line

7/18/18 1230 1230 Irwin Creek No 920 Hamilton St Pipe Failure

7/19/18 250 250 Little Hope Creek No 1000 Seneca Pl

Other - contractor

pump failure

7/20/18 46 0 Lake Norman No 16914 Belle Isle Dr, Cornelius

Other - contractor

ran over low

pressure sewer

service box

7/23/18 230 0 Little Sugar Creek No 6626 Candlewood Dr

Inflow and

Infiltration

7/24/18 624 624 Lake Norman No 13701 Wavecrest Ct, Cornelius Pipe Failure

7/30/18 264 200 Campbell Creek No 5603 Farm Pond Ln Grease


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


8/1/18 780 780 Little Sugar Creek No 6626 Candlewood Dr

Inflow And

Infiltration

8/6/18 1200 0 Sugar Creek No 4800 Wallingford St

Other - contractor hit

a manhole causing

accidental blockage

8/7/18 550 550 McIntyre Creek No 5225 Spector Dr Grease

8/7/18 38 0 Upper Little Sugar No 4043 Redwood Av Debris In Line - rags

8/7/18 330 330 Flat Branch No 12040 Parks Farm Ln Grease

8/10/18 930 930 Steele Creek No 10510 Steele Creek Rd Grease

8/12/18 200 200 Little Hope Creek No 1022 Forest Oak Dr Vandalism - rock

8/20/18 135 0 Taggart Creek No 2910 Horseshoe Ln Pipe Failure

8/22/18 8.5 0 Toby Creek No 8938 Cameron Bv

Pipe Failure - fallen

tree

8/23/18 3000 3000 Little Hope Creek No 1100 Scaleybark Rd. Pipe Failure

8/29/18 340 340 McMullen Creek No 2327 Knickerbocker Dr Grease

8/31/18 240 240 McMullen Creek No 3704 Litchfield Rd Pipe Failure

8/31/18 310 0 Lake Norman No 19731 BUSTLE RD Pipe Failure

9/3/18 2100 1050 Walker Branch No 12103 Shadow Ridge Ln

Debris In Line- wire

and other debris

9/4/18 2001 2001 Four Mile Creek No 3509 High Ridge Rd Pipe Failure

9/4/18 258 258 Mc Mullen Creek No 3335 Gresham Pl Pipe Failure

9/4/18 2658000 2658000 Taggart Creek No 3900 Billy Graham Pky.

Pipe Failure – fallen

tree

9/7/18 1150 0 McAlpine Creek No 10909 VALLEY SPRING DR Roots


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


9/13/18 700 700

Mallard Creek

Tributary No 11815 N. Tryon St.

Debris In Line- paint

cans, plastic bottles

9/16/18 163200 163200 McMullen Creek No 3624 Huckleberry Rd

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 240000 240000 Little Hope Creek No 1026 Montford Dr

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 500000 500000 Four Mile Creek No 3203 Keegan Wy

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 225000 225000 Briar Creek No 1215 Andover Rd

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 115200 115200 Briar Creek No 2010 Bay St

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 105600 105600 Briar Creek No 426 Lorna St

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 105600 105600 Six Mile Creek No 8200 Tonawanda Dr

Severe Natural

Condition

9/16/18 96000 96000 McIntyre Creek No 9235 Feldbank Dr

Severe Natural

Condition

9/17/18 476 476 Paw Creek No 1201 Kiker Cr Roots

9/30/18 1000 300 Little Sugar Creek No 2300 Turnberry Ln

Other- contractor

damaged pipe

9/30/18 2760 2760 Mallard Creek No 9528 Robert Burns Court Roots

10/1/18 120 0 Lake Norman No

15514 Fisherman's Rest Ct,

Cornelius Pipe Failure


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


10/8/18 322 0 Lake Norman No 18948 Casual Cay Ln, Cornelius

Pipe Failure -

contractor damaged

low pressure sewer

service

10/11/18 2330 2330 Four Mile Creek No 404 Sadie Dr, Matthews

Severe Natural

Condition

10/12/18 50 0 Lake Norman No 18103 Harbor Light Bv, Cornelius Pipe Failure

10/13/18 1025 850 Irwin Creek No 1300 Oaklawn Av

Other - contractor

bypass pump failure

10/17/18 92 0 Little Sugar Creek No 939 Charlottetowne Av Grease

10/18/18 1350 1350 Clear Creek No 11124 Sorrel Ridge Dr, Mint Hill

Pipe Failure – Force

main

10/18/18 12793 12793 Little Sugar Creek No 1330 E 4th St Pipe Failure

10/24/18 44 0 Four Mile No 1006 Chelsea Pl, Matthews Roots

10/25/18 45 0 Four Mile Creek No 404 Sadie Ln., Matthews

Other- bypass pump

leak

10/29/18 136 0

South Prong West

Branch Rocky

River No 212 Pat Stough Ln, Davidson Debris In Line- wipes

10/29/18 36 0 McAlpine Creek No 1053 Bellemeade Ln

Debris In Line – rocks

and bricks

11/1/18 37 0 Irwin Creek No 1401 Whisnant St

Debris In Line- rocks,

dirt from a

construction project

11/2/18 1290 1290 Irwin Creek No 1824 West Bv Grease

11/3/18 20 0 Taggart Creek No 3914 Whitehall Dr Grease

11/4/18 156 0 McAlpine Creek No 7604 Compton Ct Roots


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


11/6/18 198 198 McAlpine Creek No 11240 Ballantyne Trace Ct

Debris In Line -

wipes, adult diapers,

grease

11/20/18 660 0 Lake Norman No 19525 Mary Ardrey Cr, Cornelius

Pipe Failure – tree

stump removal

11/21/18 435 0 Lake Norman No 19040 Mary Ardrey Cr, Cornelius Pipe Failure

11/23/18 675 675

South Prong Clark

Creek No

12620 Cumberland Crest Dr,

Huntersville Grease

11/25/18 800 800

Lower Little Sugar

Creek No 2016 Valencia Tr Roots

11/28/18 138 0 Sugar Creek No 108 Church St, Pineville

Debris In Line-

construction sand

11/29/18 122 0 McAlpine Creek No 8854 Mullis Forest Ct, Mint Hill

Debris In Line- rocks,

construction debris

11/30/18 52 0 Briar Creek No 3540 Enfield Rd Debris In Line-

12/5/18 390 390 McAlpine Creek No 7203 Connan Ln Debris In Line - paper

12/9/18 1500 1500 McMullen Creek No 8308 TIFTON RD Debris In Line- rags

12/12/18 100 0 Fourmile Creek No 11140 Sir Francis Drake Dr, 28277 Debris In Line

12/23/18 94 94 Briar Creek No 618 Museum Dr Grease

12/24/18 295 0 McAlpine Creek No 5425 Swinstead Pl Roots


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


1/3/2019 34 0 McMullen Creek No 4723 Doris Av Roots

1/7/2019 92 0 Briar Creek No 529 Hempstead Pl Pipe Failure

1/10/2019 92 0 McDowell Creek No 15225 Red Canoe Wy

Pipe Failure – LPSS

damaged likely

construction

1/10/2019 150 0 Briar Creek No 6520 Independence Bv Debris In Line

1/11/2019 56 0

Upper Little Sugar

Creek No 1321 Harrill St. Pipe Failure

1/14/2019 540 0 Lake Wylie No 14217 Ridgewater Wy, 28278

Other – LPSS box

damaged by truck

1/14/2019 210 0 Briar Creek No 5352 Mock Robin Ln Roots

1/14/2019 360 360 Briar Creek No 336 Wendover Hill Ct

Debris In Line – sticks

and rags

1/19/2019 90 90 Back Creek No 2121 Katherine Kiker Rd Debris In Line - rags


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


1/20/2019 1230 900 Campbell Creek No 5301 Dawndeer Ln Debris In Line - rags

1/25/2019 600 600

Upper Little Sugar

Creek No 4919 Seacroft Rd Pipe Failure

1/26/2019 58 0 Catawba No 4702 Mountain Point Ln Pipe Failure

1/28/2019 27 0 Sugar Creek No 406 Sleepy Hollow Rd Roots

1/28/2019 1040 1040 Taggart Creek No 5000 Airport Center Py Roots

1/29/2019 4460 4460 Lake Wylie No 10720 Big Bear Dr Debris In Line- rocks

1/29/2019 610 610 Steele Creek No 10519 Queensmead Cr Debris In Line- rags

1/31/2019 930 450

Lower Little Sugar

Creek No 6037 Ingleside Dr, 28210

Other - contractor

damaged pipe


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


2/3/2019 985 985 McAlpine Creek No 10110 Victoria Mill Ct Roots

2/4/2019 126 0 Briar Creek No 1615 Arnold Dr Debris In Line - rags

2/4/2019 360 0 McDowell Creek No 13732 Statesville Rd (Huntersville) Grease

2/4/2019 750 0 Steele Creek No 14523 Carowinds Bv

Pipe Failure – force

main air release

valve leaking

2/6/2019 1625 1625 Briar Creek No 3030 Latrobe Dr, 28205 Grease

2/6/2019 2180 1090 Irwin Creek No 2449 Kendrick Ave.

Debris In Line-

rocks and rags

2/8/2019 160 0 Irwin Creek No 3520 Atlas Dr Grease

2/8/2019 82 82 Sugar Creek No 3224 Piper Ln Roots

2/8/2019 230 0 McMullen Creek No 3015 Robin Rd Roots

2/9/2019 1106 553 Irwin Creek No 242 W Tremont Av, 28203 Pipe Failure


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


2/9/2019 970 727 Clarke Creek No 7101 Highland Creek Py Debris In Line

2/15/2019 680 680 McAlpine Creek No 733 Charter Pl.

Pipe Failure -

contractor damage

(bored)

2/20/2019 340 0 Long Creek No 106 Fielding Rd Roots

2/21/2019 450 450 Steele Creek No 14905 Choate Cir Pipe Failure

2/21/2019 900 900 Long Creek No 120 Waycross Dr Grease

2/22/2019 980 980

Little Sugar Upper

Creek No 4918 Horton Ct Roots

2/26/2019 160 0

Upper Little Sugar

Creek No 325 Hawthorne Ln

Debris In Line -

wipes

3/1/2019 243 0 Steele Creek No 14905 Choate Cir Pipe Failure

3/3/2019 1350 675 Mallard Creek No 327 Gray Dr, 28213 Pipe Failure

3/12/2019 127 0 Upper Little Sugar

Creek

No 1909 South Bv Grease

3/13/2019 310 290 Mallard Creek No 1890 Greymouth Rd Debris In Line -

trash, construction

debris


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


3/13/2019 2320 2320 Back Creek No 3501 Caldwell Ridge Py Roots

3/15/2019 1500 0 Catawba River No 11618 Carrington Hill Dr Vandalism - large

rocks

3/16/2019 2470 1852.5 Clarke Creek No 11505 Woodfire Rd Grease

3/18/2019 300 300 Sugar Creek No 638 Archdale Dr Grease

3/22/2019 90 45 McAlpine Creek No 611 Bellows Ln Roots

3/25/2019 1440 1440 Upper Little Sugar No 1830 Park Dr Other - contractor

damaged pipe

3/30/2019 140 0 Lake Norman No 7420 Waterview Dr (Cornelius) Pipe Failure - partial

tap

3/30/2019 210 0 Taggart Creek No 3241 New Renaissance Wy, 28208 Grease

3/31/2019 850 0 Campbell Creek No 5714 Justins Forest Dr, 28212 Grease

3/31/2019 120 0 Clarke Creek No 15432 Northstone Dr

(Huntersville)

Pipe Failure -

contractor damaged,

mud in line

4/1/2019 1550 1550 McAlpine Creek No 4625 Montclair Av Pipe Failure

4/1/2019 74 0 Lake Norman No 7420 Waterview Dr (Cornelius) Pipe Failure

4/3/2019 146 0 Reedy Creek No 8636 Ballard Hills Ct, 28215 Debris In Line - dirt,

rocks, construction

debris

4/5/2019 100 0 Lake Wylie No 18250 Youngblood Rd N. Pipe Failure –

developer/contractor

installed tap

incorrectly

4/8/2019 68 0 McAlpine Creek No 505 Riverwood Rd Vandalism - rebar

4/8/2019 20 0 Paw Creek No 1948 Crooked Creek Dr Roots


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


4/10/2019 100 0 Lake Wylie No 14225 Goldenrod Trace Rd Pipe Failure -

contractor damaged

4/10/2019 74 0 Irwin Creek No 3557 Crestridge Dr Vandalism – cans

and golf club

4/14/2019 300 0 Lower Little Sugar

Creek Tributary

No 6347 Park South Dr Roots

4/18/2019 3320 3320 Clear Creek No 5524 Crown Hill Dr. (Mint Hill) Other - contractor

bypass pump failure

4/22/2019 134 0 Stevens Creek No 6816 Hollow Oak Dr (Mint Hill) Pipe Failure -

contractor damaged

4/23/2019 1275 600 Briar Creek No 4025 Hiddenbrook Dr, 28205 Roots

4/29/2019 4800 4800 Irwin Creek No 3301 Barringer Dr Roots

4/29/2019 2940 2940 Briar Creek No 3719 Wendwood Ln. Debris In Line - rags

4/30/2019 150 150 Lake Norman No 18649 John Connor Rd, 28031

(Cornelius)

Pipe Failure

5/1/2019 480 480 Paw Creek No 8209 Moores Chapel Rd Pipe Failure

5/1/2019 40 0 Steele Creek No 13835 South Lakes Dr, 28273 Debris In Line - due

to cable bored

through the sewer

line.

5/2/2019 130 130 Irwin Creek No 115 N Sycamore St Debris In Line -

construction

concrete

5/3/2019 252 0 Lake Wylie No 15125 Red Canoe Wy Other - LPSS box

damaged by truck


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


5/11/2019 238 0 Lake Norman No 21329 Bethel Church Rd

(Cornelius)

Pipe Failure – LPSS

valve damaged by

truck

5/11/2019 7500 7500 Irwin Creek No 2211 Genesis Park Pl Other - contractor

bypass pump failure


Creek

No 3928 Severn Av Pipe Failure

5/13/2019 219 219 Upper Little Sugar

Creek

No 100 E Craighead Rd. Grease

5/13/2019 524 524 Mallard Creek No 303 Sawyers Mill Rd Other – contractor

plug

5/13/2019 66 30 Irwin Creek No 1415 Hamilton St Grease

5/14/2019 70 70 Four Mile Creek No 2810 Bumble Bee Dr (Matthews) Roots

5/14/2019 1500 1500 Stewart Creek No 625 Gallagher St Pipe Failure

5/15/2019 720 0 Rocky River No 12618 Robert Walker Dr Pipe Failure-

contractor error with

manhole coupon not

cut out

5/16/2019 232 0 Steele Creek No 12933 Sam Neely Rd Roots


Creek

No 312 N Polk St (Pineville) Grease

5/29/2019 28 0 Clear Creek No 8930 Raven Top Dr (Mint Hill) Debris In Line

5/29/2019 940 940 Irwin Creek No 1916 Gilbert St Debris In Line - rags

5/31/2019 510 0 Mallard Creek No 10430 Wheatside Dr Grease

6/7/2019 645 645 Irwin Creek No 1810 Oaklawn Av Debris In Line


Date Volume

(Gallons)

Volume to

Surface

Water

Surface Water

Name

Fish


6/8/2019 255 0 Campbell Creek No 6708 Nutcracker Pl Grease

6/9/2019 103702 103702 Catawba River No 6003 Stephens Road- McGuire Lift

Station (Huntersville)

Severe Natural

Condition

6/11/2019 550 550 Clarke Creek No 8516 Beaver Creek Dr Debris In Line –

string and rags

6/14/2019 1480 1480 Campbell Creek No 6348 Green Vista Ct Grease

6/14/2019 2130 1100 Caldwell Creek No 17035 Glassfield Dr (Huntersville) Grease

6/16/2019 90 0 McMullen Creek No 7701 Fairview Rd Roots

6/25/2019 2750 2750 Back Creek No 8104 Knollwood Cr Grease

6/28/2019 38 0 Six Mile Creek No 15615 Donnington Dr Debris in Line -

gravel

TOTAL NUMBER OF FY2019 COLLECTION SYSTEM SPILLS: 162

Volume Safely Collected, Treated & Discharged During Fiscal Year 2019: 33,222,000,000 Gallons (99.98%)

Volume Spilled: 4,434,265.5 Gallons


VI. Permit Compliance and Reporting Violations, by plant

Ashe Plantation WWTP -- NPDES Permit #NC0065749

MONTH PERMIT LIMIT VIOLATIONS REPORTING REQUIREMENT VIOLATIONS

July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA

September, 2018 NA NA

October, 2018 NA NA

November, 2018 NA NA

December, 2018 NA NA

January, 2019 NA NA

February, 2019 Monthly Avg. Ammonia NA

March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 NA NA

Irwin Creek WWTP -- NPDES Permit #NC0024945


July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA


October, 2018 NA NA



January, 2019 NA NA


February, 2019 NA NA

March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 Daily Max Fecal Coliform NA

Mallard Creek WRF -- NPDES Permit #NC0030210


July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA


October, 2018 NA NA



January, 2019 NA NA


March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 NA NA

McAlpine Creek WWTF -- NPDES Permit #NC0024970


July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA


October, 2018 NA NA




January, 2019 NA NA


March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 NA NA

McDowell Creek WWTP -- NPDES Permit #NC0036277


July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA


October, 2018 NA NA



January, 2019 NA NA


March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 NA NA

Oxford Glen Plantation WWTP -- NPDES Permit #NC0065384


July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA


October, 2018 NA NA




January, 2019 NA NA


March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 NA NA

Sugar Creek WWTP -- NPDES Permit #NC0024937


July, 2018 NA NA

August, 2018 NA NA


October, 2018 NA NA



January, 2019 NA NA


March, 2019 NA NA

April, 2019 NA NA

May, 2019 NA NA

June, 2019 NA NA

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