Charlotte advances $50 million water and stormwater infrastructure package

Charlotte advances $50 million water and stormwater infrastructure packageThe City Council greenlit a slew of capital projects for Charlotte Water and Storm Water Services, targeting treatment plant upgrades, extensive sewer rehabilitation, and major drainage improvements.

Sealand Contractors Corp. secured the largest single contract, a $10.7 million award for the Severn-Tyndale Storm Drainage Improvement Project.

Charlotte Water will reimburse the North Carolina Department of Transportation an estimated $8 million for relocating water and sewer lines along U.S. Highway 21.

North American Pipeline Management won over $11.8 million across two contracts for large-scale sanitary sewer rehabilitation and the Paw Creek sewer diversion.

M.B. Kahn Waterworks was awarded a $4.6 million contract for primary clarifier and headworks improvements at the McDowell Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility.

On September 14, 2026, the Charlotte City Council approved a massive slate of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure contracts exceeding $50 million. The approvals will advance critical capital projects across the Charlotte Water and Storm Water Services service areas, addressing aging assets, flood mitigation, and system capacity. A significant portion of the capital investment is directed toward stormwater management. The council awarded a $10.7 million contract to Sealand Contractors Corp. for the Severn-Tyndale Storm Drainage Improvement Project, which will replace aging infrastructure and alleviate flooding in District 6. Additionally, GS Construction secured a $2.6 million contract for the Collective Storm Drainage Improvement Project Series W. The city also allocated $1.8 million for professional engineering services with multiple firms to design surface water quality and green stormwater infrastructure projects aimed at removing pollutants from runoff before it enters local creeks. On the wastewater collection side, North American Pipeline Management won two major contracts. The firm secured a $6.6 million annual unit price contract for medium- to large-scale sanitary sewer rehabilitation to address structural issues and prevent sanitary sewer overflows. It was also awarded a $5.1 million contract for the Paw Creek Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation and Diversion project. The Paw Creek project involves installing approximately 4,700 linear feet of cured-in-place lining to accommodate increased flows expected from the Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility once it becomes operational. Charlotte Water is also moving forward with several treatment facility upgrades. M.B. Kahn Waterworks was awarded a $4.6 million contract for primary clarifier and headworks improvements at the McDowell Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility in Huntersville, replacing mechanisms that have reached the end of their service life. Other facility investments include a $1.7 million contract to Gilbert Engineering Company to upgrade diesel-driven stormwater pumps to modern electrical pumps at the Irwin Creek WRRF, and a $776,348 contract to Harper General Contractors to replace aging chemical feed piping at the Lee S. Dukes Water Treatment Plant. CDM Smith, Inc. was also approved for a $400,000 contract to provide construction administration and inspection services for the Mallard Creek Solids Improvement Project. For the drinking water distribution system, the council approved a $7.5 million contract with Fuller & Co. Construction for water main replacements across ten different project sites. The utility also approved a $1 million cooperative contract with Hydromax USA, LLC to provide assessment services for approximately 93,447 valves throughout the service area to help prevent main breaks and outages. Finally, the city authorized an estimated $8 million reimbursement to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). As required by encroachment agreements, the city is financially responsible for relocating city-owned water and sanitary sewer infrastructure displaced by NCDOT's highway improvement project along U.S. Highway 21.