Charlotte Water expands governance structure to reflect regional service growth

Charlotte Water expands governance structure to reflect regional service growthThe City Council has approved adding a Gaston County representative to the utility’s advisory committee as it takes over wastewater treatment for Mount Holly and Belmont.

Charlotte Water confirmed it is now the sole wastewater provider for Mount Holly and will soon serve Belmont.

The governance change supports the long-planned 'Stowe project,' designed to meet EPA nutrient limits on the Catawba River.

Council approved a $1.9 million design contract amendment for the McAlpine Creek WWTP thermal hydrolysis project.

The utility also awarded contracts for siphon cleaning and valve replacements at the Franklin Water Treatment Plant.

The Charlotte City Council voted on December 8 to add a representative from Gaston County to the Charlotte Water Advisory Committee, a move that codifies the utility’s expanding footprint as a regional service provider. Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles told the Council that the utility is now the sole provider of wastewater services for the City of Mount Holly and will soon serve the City of Belmont. The governance change is tied to the "Stowe project," a regional initiative that Charles noted has been in planning for over 20 years. She explained that the partnership was necessary to build infrastructure that accommodates growth while meeting EPA Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements for nitrogen and phosphorus on the Catawba River. As part of this regionalization, Mount Holly has decommissioned its own wastewater treatment plant to rely on Charlotte Water's capacity. "We are a regional utility. We serve over 1.2 million people," Charles stated during the meeting, noting that Charlotte Water is the 13th largest system in the country. The new committee appointee aims to facilitate two-way communication with these wholesale customers, who will pay treatment rates for the service. In other water infrastructure business, the Council approved a $1.94 million contract amendment with PC Construction Company for the Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP) and Biosolids Improvements Project at the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The amendment raises the total contract value to approximately $16.1 million. PC Construction is a frequent partner in the sector, having delivered over $7 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure nationwide, including the Killian Creek expansion in nearby Stanley, North Carolina. Staff explained that the current cost increase was necessary because existing processing equipment was found to be at the end of its life during the design phase and required replacement to handle increased processing speeds associated with the new THP design. The Council also approved several maintenance and procurement contracts to support ongoing operations. These included a $1.1 million purchase of rectangular butterfly valves and fabricated slide gates for the Franklin Water Treatment Plant from JASH USA Inc. dba Rodney Hunt, and a contract estimated at $1 million annually for siphon cleaning services awarded to Duke’s Root Control Inc.