Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Advisory Committee

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities successfully collected and treated more than 30 billion gallons of the community's wastewater during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010. Plants earned performance awards while pipe crews maintained and improved the infrastructure and responded to nine fewer wastewater overflows.

Wastewater overflows are still a community challenge. "Grease poured down kitchen drains caused more than half of the overflows," said Utilities spokesman Cam Coley. "Customers can help protect the environment - and their plumbing - by pouring fats, oils, and grease in a disposable jar and pitching it into the trash, instead of down the drain."

In the September water bill, customers will receive a summary of the annual wastewater report. The reports will also be posted on www.cmutilities.com under "Education."

Saturday, August 14, 2010
Follow-up pipe repair scheduled for Saturday following Friday's gas leak & neighborhood evacuation

A 3/4 inch gas line that was inadvertently installed directly through an existing 8 inch sewer line was subsequent damaged by sewer line cleaning crews yesterday, prompting a gas leak discovered later in the afternoon that led to a multi-agency emergency response including CFD and temporary evacuation of residents near the 1800 block of Chinchester Lane.

The gas line was shut off to allow gas that had seeped into the sewer mains to dissipate. Within a couple of hours the area was deemed safe and most residents were back in their homes by 8 pm Friday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities worked with emergency response officials and Piedmont Natural Gas to diagnose the source of the leak based on the location of the gas odor and the timing of both recent gas line installation and yesterday's sewer line maintenance work in the same area. Suspicions were confirmed using a closed-circuit TV camera to locate and inspect the damaged section of gas line from inside the pierced sewer pine. A City sewer line maintenance crew had been working on the sewer earlier yesterday, and by mid afternoon a natural gas leak was detected. City public safety and utlity officials were contacted to shut down gas service to the area and evacuate residents while Utiliteis and PNC pinpointed the problem source. The camera showed the sewer maintenance crew most likely clipped the out-of-place gas line while cleaning the sewer pipe. "Utilities maintenance crews had no reason to expect a misplaced gas line running through the sewer pipe," saud Utilities spokesman Vic Simpson. "But once we all verified what exactly had occurred we worked together to respond appropriately. Protecting public safety and the environment were our top priorities."

Piedmont Natural Gas crews were scheduled to complete their capping of the broken gas line and install a new replacement gas line -- away from the sewer main -- on Friday evening. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities crews were scheduled Saturday to more deeply inspect and fix any problems with the sewer pipe on Saturday. The sewer line remains functional despite the damage from the smaller gas line bore-through.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Catawba-Wateree Drought Advisory Group Issues Watch Stage

This afternoon the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group will issue a Stage 0 (Watch) advisory based on current weather and water supply conditions throughout the river basin covering portions of North Carolina and South Carolina.

This watch stage requires all group participants including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and Duke Energy to more frequently check in with each other regarding monitoring of lake levels, stream flows that supply the lakes, and rainfall accumulations. These three indicators are compared to historical levels for guidance on future recommended actions regarding the water supply.

Charlotte Mecklenburg remains actively involved in the basin group that regularly collects and analyzes water and weather data. Water consumption by citizens in this community remains normal for this time of year. Current weather and water supply conditions are moderately below the desired target levels for this time of year.

There is no clear indication at this time that further actions will be necessary but we will provide further updates as circumstances require them. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities continues promoting efficient water use and educating citizens on ways to improve their water habits through ongoing outreach that includes effective landscaping irrigation and indoor conservation tips at www.cmutilities.com, WaterSmart bill inserts, civic presentations and school tours, an ongoing showerhead exchange program and in-home customer water audits upon request.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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Thursday, July 22, 2010
Piedmont Row Drive (formerly JA Jones Drive)

Crews have two lanes closed on Piedmont Row Drive (formerly JA Jones Drive, on Ruth's Chris Steakhouse side). A lane is open in each direction. All lanes on Fairview Road are open. Drivers can also use Park South Drive as an alternate to get to Fairview Road.

Crews are repairing a wastewater pipe through Thursday evening.

Thursday, July 1, 2010
EPA Region IV Safe Drinking Water Act Excellence Award

This is a federal award recognizing Charlotte's water professionals for providing consistently superior drinking water treatment and safe delivery to citizens.

This is a particularly significant recognition because it highlights our community water system among nominees from EPA Southeast Region 4 (8 states). Our state regulators and industry peers in N.C. endorsed Charlotte-Mecklenburg as North Carolina's nominee for this award in the large surface system category; ultimately our federal regulators in Atlanta selected Charlotte as the EPA honoree for the southeast US region.

The award recognizes the sustained, comprehensive team effort, commitment and expertise required to provide safe drinking water - including plant operation and consistently outstanding water treatment, and supporting services like quality control, distribution, maintenance, customer service, system capacity planning, financial management, rates & programs that encourage water efficiency and community outreach.

Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wastewater Treatment Plant Peak Performance Awards

2009 Peak Performance Awards from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)- These national industry awards recognize Charlotte's wastewater treatment plant professionals and supporting staff for protecting the environment and public health through outstanding treatment and discharge permit compliance. Each plant has its own federal permit issued and is subject to stringent treatment requirements and discharge limits for specific substances. Every hour of every day, the highly treated wastewater effluent recycled back into our local creeks and streams is a crucial part of our region's water cycle!

Charlotte's NACWA Peak Performance Honorees for calendar year 2009 include:

McDowell Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
PLATINUM AWARD for second year (which means 6 consecutive years of perfect performance)

Mallard Creek Water Reclamation Facility
PLATINUM AWARD for 5 consecutive years of perfect compliance

McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
GOLD AWARD for 1 year of perfect compliance (this is their 4th consecutive gold)

Irwin Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
GOLD AWARD for perfect compliance

Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
SILVER AWARD for five 5 or fewer violations in a one-year period.

"Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities has a primary goal to serve customers," said Utilities Director Barry Gullet. "Our employees are proud of their professional achievements toward this one goal, which allowed these awards to happen. We are proud of our dedicated workforce that makes this system run, and prouder to serve the community that supports it."

Monday, June 28, 2010
Carolina Panthers Win Water Star Award

The Carolina Panthers won this year's Water Star Award.
Click here for details on the Carolina Panthers website.

The Panthers organization was chosen for this year's Water Star Award because of their long time activities to reduce water consumption and improve water use efficiency.

Recently the Panthers converted their irrigation equipment to smart irrigation controllers designed to reduce water use, water runoff and water waste while irrigating their facilities. The Panthers organization has an established history of working with Utilities to conserve and protect our water supply.

Monday, June 7, 2010
Report Reflects Excellent Tap Water Quality

Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents will open mailboxes next week to find the Water Quality Report, which summarizes the quality of our community's tap water in calendar year 2009. Charlotte's drinking water once again meets and exceeds all drinking water standards, and Utilities had no water quality violations.

Highlights of this year's Water Quality Report
+ At the level of treatment Utilities provides, Charlotte-Mecklenburg tap water is 10 times less likely to have contamination compared with federal standards.
+ The levels of the few substances detected in the water were well below federal drinking water limits and posed no health threat.
+ Utilities test for more than 150 different substances and conducted more than 150,000 tests on drinking water in 2009.

The EPA requires large water systems to produce and mail this report directly to customers. In addition to the results of water quality tests, readers also will find details about Charlotte's drinking water sources, the treatment process and some commonly asked questions.

"Providing clean, safe drinking water at an affordable price is what we're all about," said Interim Director Barry Gullet. "Our customers pay much less than one cent per gallon, and they can be confident that the water delivered to their faucet is high quality."

Click here to read the report.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Customer Service Improvements Continue at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities

Utilities will initiate a countywide water meter equipment audit on May 19. Auditors will check 9,000 water meters and transmitters as part of a comprehensive program to enhance existing quality assurance and improve customer service.

Click Here for details.

Friday, April 30, 2010
Biosolids Program Recognized by National Magazine

Utilities wastewater treatment / biosolids staff was highlighted in Treatment Plant Operator, a national industry magazine. The article focuses on the teamwork, training, challenges and rewards of converting wastewater into quality fertilizer for farms. Click here to read the article.

Utilities treats an average of 81 million gallons of wastewater every day. Biosolids are the safe nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage at a wastewater treatment facility. By treating sewage sludge, Utilities creates biosolids that can be used as valuable farm fertilizer instead of taking up space in a landfill or other disposal facility. Biosolids are carefully monitored in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
McDowell Creek WWTP Achieves ISO 14001 Certification

The McDowell Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Huntersville achieved the prestigious ISO 14001:2004 certification, making it the third Utilities work team in three years to demonstrate environmental leadership and efficiency in this way.

The International Organization for Standardization creates international standards for business and government entities to promote increased quality, environmental consciousness, safety and efficiency. The 14001:2004 certification addresses various aspects of environmental management. The framework to do that, called an Environmental Management Systems (EMS), is a tool to:

* Identify and control environmental impact.
* Improve environmental performance continually.
* Implement a systematic approach to setting and achieving environmental objectives and demonstrating those were achieved.

The ISO program brought more consistency to the way wastewater plants operate, identified efficiencies and minimizes environmental risks.

"The EMS is a very effective continuous improvement tool in developing a strong, efficient operation with a knowledgeable team that successfully achieves our goals to protect the environment," said Jackie Jarrell, superintendent of the Utilities Environmental Management Division. "This is a true dynamic and sustainable program that has immediate and long-term benefits for the utility and our community."

In addition to the McDowell Creek plant, the Mallard Creek Water Reclamation Facility in the University area and the Utilities biosolids program also are ISO 14001:2004 certified. The Utilities ISO program has been implemented solely through internal staff efforts, an uncommon and cost-saving achievement. As a result of implementing the ISO program, Utilities has seen significant savings in operating costs totaling about $290,000 in a year. The utility plans to continue the ISO program at its three other wastewater treatment facilities as resources allow.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Field Operations Receives Grant to Replace Aging Diesel Engines

Utilities has received funding from Mecklenburg County Air Quality's Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines (GRADE) program. Based on the success of GRADE and the programs that followed in 2007 and 2008, MCAQ received $1.1 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand it. GRADE+ now includes 13 counties in North and South Carolina and has been expanded to include construction, agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors operating non-road diesel, on-road heavy duty diesel and stationary diesel equipment.

This allowed Utilities to partner with Street Maintenance in a joint application. Together, the departments will receive a $79,515 reimbursement toward replacing six diesel engines, five of which are for the Utilities Field Operations division. Engines in four 100-horsepower air compressors and one 100-horsepower backhoe/loader will be replaced. The grant award represents 75 percent of the project cost and will reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 7.93 tons over the life of the equipment. The replacements will occur this summer, with project completion by Sept. 1, 2010.

"Replacing these older diesel engines is a very tangible way we can enhance the City's fleet and equipment, making it more fuel efficient while improving air quality," said Utilities Field Operations Manager Angela Lee. "We feel fortunate this grant opportunity helps us move toward that goal." By repowering or replacing old, high-emitting diesel engines with newer engines and technology, MCAQ anticipates achieving more than 166 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx)reductions in our bi-state region over the next five years.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
FRIDAY, 4/23, 2 PM UPDATE Repair along the 4000 block of S. Tryon Street complete; all lanes back open.

Utilities finished its repair of the 24-inch water main yesterday along the 4000 block of S. Tryon Street. Following roadway restoration work today all lanes of traffic are now reopened.

Thursday, April 15, 2010
Utilities Budget Update
presented on April 14, 2010

The presentation to City Council followed two recent sessions with the Restructuring Government Committee on March 11 and March 25. These provided in-depth information about the policies, capital projects, service level requirements, revenue requirements and other components of the Utilities budget that help drive water and sewer rate decisions.

Operating and Capital Cuts

* Reduced operating expenses through a hiring freeze now in its third year. A total of 97 positions are unfunded in the current year, and about 30 more vacancies remain frozen of the utility's 817 positions.
* Delayed some construction projects and water/wastewater system improvements.
* Gained operating savings through energy efficiency and competition programs.

The Effects

While high-quality water and wastewater services are still being provided around the clock, customers are feeling the effects of operating cuts:

* Customer service improvements are needed, and the City is working to address those.
* Longer response time to water leaks. We are down 19 field crews due to vacant and unfunded positions.
* Non-essential equipment and infrastructure maintenance is being deferred.

The Picture for 2011

Despite making cuts, Utilities projects an additional $13.4 million will be needed to cover rising costs in these areas:
* Needed operating expenses (chemicals, power, property insurance, retirement system, customer service improvements, etc.) = $4 million
* Debt service (the "mortgage payment" on past and current system improvements.) = $7 million
* Meeting financial goals to retain our superior AAA bond rating (retaining this keeps interest rates low, saving Utilities and customers millions annually.)

What's Next?

Utilities provided the Restructuring Government Committee and City Council some rate scenarios as they face the tough task of considering a possible rate increase. There is no recommendation at this time regarding a water and sewer rate increase. Any recommended water and sewer rate increase would be part of the City Manager's budget proposal expected in early May.

Utilities is a community-owned water system. It provides about 100 million gallons a day in clean, safe drinking water and cleans about 80 million gallons of wastewater daily. As an enterprise fund, Utilities is funded solely through water and sewer rates.

Friday, March 26, 2010
UTILITIES BUDGET UPDATE

On March 25, Utilities made its second presentation this month to the Charlotte City Council Restructuring Government Committee. Similar to the first presentation on March 11, the purpose of the presentation was to provide the five-member Restructuring Government Committee with details about policies, Utilities capital projects, service level requirements, revenue requirements and other components of the Utilities budget and rates as we head into the FY11 budget season.

Like other public service agencies and private sector companies facing funding challenges, Utilities has already delayed some discretionary construction projects and reduced operating expenses by freezing 97 vacant staff positions during the current fiscal year. Additionally, 30 more vacant positions remain frozen right now. Over time, the utility has also recouped significant operating savings through energy efficiency programs and a competition program - nearly 20 years old - where Utilities staff regularly bid against the private sector to provide specific in-house, utility-related services.

High-quality and essential drinking water and wastewater services continue being provided around the clock by a workforce of less than 700 employees, compared to a utility operation that normally totals 817 positions when fully staffed. There is no question the Utilities operating cuts and hiring freeze, now in its third year, have resulted in some service level impacts for customers. Leaks are taking longer to fix than they should, some equipment and infrastructure maintenance is being deferred and customer service is not where it needs to be.

With the continued economic slowdown, this community-owned water/sewer operation and the City Council face another tough budget year where additional customer revenue - currently projected at $13.4 million - will be needed to cover the cost of increases in operating expenses, debt service, capital improvements and meeting established financial goals to retain our AAA utility bond rating. (Retaining this superior bond rating saves the utility millions per year in debt interest payments, a savings that is passed on to customers by keeping rates extremely competitive.)

Council members have asked for this detailed information about Utilities as Council faces the tough task of considering any water/sewer rate increase. As part of the ongoing discussion, some possible rate increase scenarios were provided at the Council Restructuring Government Committee on March 25, based on existing policy and rate setting methodology. Council also asked Utilities to provide a few other scenarios that could be considered if existing policies and methodologies were revised. Utilities will be working on those requests and will present that information to Council at the April 14 budget retreat.

Please be advised there is no Fiscal Year 2011 recommendation at this time regarding water and sewer rate increase for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities customers. Any recommended water and sewer rate increase would come as part of the City Manager's Citywide Budget Proposal, which would come out in early May.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Utilities Customer Service Update

Yesterday, the Cornelius Mayor's appointed 13-member citizen task force released its report of findings related to high water bill concerns expressed in recent months. The full 18-page report, available at www.cornelius.org, cites 24 recommendations that are categorized in the areas of financial management, customer service and technical measurement & reporting.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and the City of Charlotte deeply appreciate the work of the task force and the community leaders who supported this process. We also appreciate the other contact with citizens across the countywide service area, especially as it relates to concerns or questions related to billing. We recognize the importance of earning our customer's trust and satisfaction. There is no doubt that accurately billing customers for the services they receive is crucial to retaining public support for this community-owned operation. We are grateful for all the patience as we continue researching and addressing these concerns. Utilities staff also worked closely with members of the task force as they worked on their report, and we look forward to other opportunities to continue that relationship. It will take time to process the task force findings and Utilities and City management will review and respond promptly. There may be recommendations that can be considered and implemented quickly, but many findings speak to policy and rate issues that may take longer to address. With that said, there are three ways City management plans to address issues in the stakeholder report:

1. The Utilities Advisory Committee, a seven-member citizen committee, will receive the task force report and consider the recommendations starting at this week's meeting. This is yet another avenue for communication and collaboration between the stakeholders and Utilities that can be forwarded to and considered by Utilities and City management and to Charlotte City Council. 2. The City-sponsored Evaluation/Restructuring of Utilities Customer Service has begun. This Evaluation was recommended by the Charlotte City Manager and will review a wide series of operational and customer service business processes and policies. The Cornelius task force recommendations are among specific areas to be addressed, and elements of the task force report are closely aligned with business process and policy reviews already under way in the Evaluation project. The Evaluation will be completed by September. Some specific action items may take longer; some may be completed sooner. 3. The Charlotte City Council Restructuring Government Committee is already considering Utilities budget and rate issues. Some of the policy recommendations are closely aligned with the work of the Restructuring Government Committee. In summary, there is much more information forthcoming with established paths for many of these issues to follow. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and the City remain committed to continuous improvements in customer service, and building a stronger relationship with the task force, and all customers and citizens. We will communicate our progress as we go. Thank you for your continued support and the opportunity to serve you.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Beware of Products Claiming to Reduce Water Bill,
Provide Free Water Quality Testing

Beware of products that claim to reduce water bills:

* Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities encourages customer to research and verify before purchasing products that claim to reduce water bills or remove 'impurities.'
* Customers can find general tips and alerts at the Better Business Bureau web site (http://charlotte.bbb.org/).

Beware of false or misleading information about Charlotte-Mecklenburg's water quality:

* No City or County staff goes door-to-door to sell anything. If a Utilities employee comes to your door for water testing purposes, he/she should be wearing identification and driving a white, marked City vehicle.

* Individual tastes will vary and some customers choose to install filters for that reason. However, tap water delivered to customers meets and often exceeds all health and safety standards and does not require additional filtration at home. Utilities conducts more than 150,000 water quality tests annually to monitor the safety of our community's drinking water. It's conceivable - but not often - that private plumbing issues could impact a customer's tap water quality.

* Tap water is not acidic. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A reading of 7 is neutral, with acids falling below 7 and bases above 7. Utilities adjusts the pH of tap water to slightly above 7 to reduce corrosion in water pipes.

* Chlorine is used in the treatment process to prevent waterborne illness, while fluoride provides a defense against tooth decay. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates drinking water and has set a safety limit of 4 parts per million (proportional to $0.04 in $10,000). In Charlotte, chlorine and fluoride levels in drinking water are well below that safety limit at about 1 ppm.

* Water hardness is defined by the amount of trace minerals present, such as calcium and magnesium. Water is considered 'hard' if it has more than 125 parts per million of trace minerals. Charlotte's tap water has an average of 34 ppm or 1.8 grains per gallon of trace minerals, so it is considered 'soft' water.

Customers can get the facts from the EPA-required annual water quality report that every city must produce and mail to customers. Charlotte-Mecklenburg customers can review their drinking water data at the 'publications' link at www.cmutilities.com. Customers may also get information from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791, or visit www.epa.gov.

The safety of our customers' drinking water is the top priority for your clean water professionals at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities. Customers can dial 311 or 704-336-7600 if they have a water quality concern.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Utilities Wins National Award for Educational Water Video

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities (Utilities) earned national recognition among industry peers for its new educational video, called "Clean Water for a Healthy Community." The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) selected Utilities to receive their 2010 National Environmental Achievement Award in Public Information & Education Award - Video Category.

Each year, Utilities staff provide tours and speak to more than 7,000 children and adults at neighborhood association meetings each year. "From those meetings we saw an opportunity," said Cam Coley, spokesperson for Utilities, "to create a short video to show the value of clean water and how water and wastewater services are provided."

"This was a collaborative effort. We appreciate the significant assistance we received from the City of Charlotte's Corporate Communications, Charlotte Fire Department, Health Department, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Land Use and Environmental Services Agency, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Advisory Chairman, and coworkers.

"We are pleased to be recognized," Coley said, "and we plan to add more educational videos to our website."

The video is available on www.cmutilities.com.