Who - Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities is the City of Charlotte (NC) department responsible for providing water and wastewater services to homes, businesses and industries in Mecklenburg County. On average, Utilities provides 110 million gallons of water a day to nearly 700,000 customers. CDM is the engineer of record for this project.

What - The Southwest Water Main is a 72-inch diameter water transmission main that will carry large volumes of drinking water to western Mecklenburg County. It will not connect directly to any individual water services but will connect to large existing water mains along the project route, providing more water in the system where it's needed and improving the city's overall water distribution network.

Where - The large water main travels 5.4 miles from Charlotte's Franklin Water Treatment Plant on Brookshire Boulevard (N.C. Highway 16) to the north side of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Future phases will extend the water main into southwest Charlotte and south of the airport between future Interstate 485 and South Tryon Street.

When The Southwest Water Main is currently in the design phase. During design:

* Research and field investigation data are used to determine pipeline size and routing.

* The ability to coordinate construction with other city/county projects in the same area is investigated.

* Property owner and public input is gathered.

Pipe installation is expected to begin by March 2005 and take about 24 months to complete. Work that will preceed pipeline installation includes moving utility poles where necessary. 

Before installation begins, property owners along the project route and the general public will have the opportunity to learn more about the project through the project newsletter and on this project Web site. Important project news will also be provided to local media for their use.

Why - When complete, the Southwest Water Main will carry drinking water to western Mecklenburg County and reinforce the city's water distribution network. 

The new water main will provide West Charlotte residents and businesses with a continuous flow of safe, clean drinking water for decades to come.

How - Capital improvement projects, such as the Southwest Water Main, are part of an ongoing capital improvement program planned by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and paid for with water and wastewater user fees, not city or county tax dollars. The Southwest Water Main is expected to cost about $40 million. 

Utilities projects are coordinated with other city and county projects when possible, making efficient use of city funds and minimizing disruption to properties and citizens. For example, the Toddville/Tuckaseegee intersection improvement project will be completed by Utilities crews after installation of the water main in that area.