Southwest Water Main Frequently Asked Questions

Who can I contact with questions or comments about the project? (back)
For questions or comments about the Southwest Water Main project, call 311 or 704-336-7600. Customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays.

You may e-mail the project team or send comments to: Southwest Water Main Project Manager, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, 5100 Brookshire Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28216.

What is the Southwest Water Main project? (back)
The Southwest Water Main project is one of several large water transmission main projects being built by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities to improve the city's public water distribution system. This project will improve water delivery to western Mecklenburg County and the city's overall water distribution system.

What is a water transmission main and why is a new one necessary? (back)
Water transmission mains carry large volumes of drinking water from the city's water treatment plants to medium-sized distribution pipelines throughout the county. These pipelines carry water to smaller service pipelines that deliver water as needed to homes, businesses, schools and other facilities.

Just as other infrastructure must keep up with the county's growing population, the water system must keep up too. Large water transmission mains, such as the Southwest Water Main and the South Water Main, are long-term solutions to the city's growing water demands. The new water mains will also safeguard against future service interruptions by making new distribution alternatives possible.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities' commitment to providing safe drinking water to its customers dates back to 1881. Today, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities manages more than 200,000 water service connections and delivers 110 million gallons of water a day on average to its customers.

At what stage is the project? (back)
The Southwest Water Main project is in the construction stage.

Will my property be affected by construction? (back)
If a portion of your property is needed to complete the Southwest Water Main project, you will be contacted by a city real estate agent so an easement can be negotiated. Many of these initial contacts were made in 2002. Some easements will be for temporary construction purposes. Others will be permanent so that the new water main is accessible for maintenance and protected for the future.

For more information about easements, contact the City of Charlotte Engineering and Property Department, Real Estate Services Division or call the City/County Customer Service and Information Center at 704-336-7600.

How much will the project cost? (back)
The project is expected to cost $40 million to construct the 72-inch Southwest Water Main from the Franklin Treatment Plant at N.C. 16 to Airport Road north of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities funds its capital improvement program with user fees, not tax dollars. The 2003 five-year capital improvement program includes $172 million in water improvements.

Where can I learn more about the project? (back)
You can learn more about the project and provide input by:

Regularly visiting this Web site for up-to-date information.
Signing up to receive the project newsletter by e-mail or regular mail.
Watching for information on the local news.

How will the pipeline be built? (back)
It's expected that pipe installation will be divided into three segments with one or more crews installing pipe in each section. To complete the project on time, pipe installation will likely take place in multiple segments at the same time. Proposed segments are:

north of Freedom Drive to Brookshire Boulevard (N.C. 16),
south of Freedom Drive to Interstate 85 and
south of Interstate 85 to Airport Road.

In addition to pipe installation crews, other crews will also work along the project route as required including tree removal/trimming, tunneling, water and sewer service relocation, paving and restoration crews.

When and where will construction begin? (back)
Construction is expected to begin in March 2005 and last about 24 months. To speed progress and reduce the overall construction time, there may be multiple construction crews and construction zones. Once hired, the contractor(s) will determine how many crews will be needed to complete the job on time, where they will start, and when. As soon as this information is available, it will be posted on this Web site and distributed publicly.

What's a typical work day? (back)
For safety, most work will take place weekdays during daylight hours, weather permitting. In some areas, such as through open industrial land or where tunneling must occur, 24-hour-a-day operations may take place.

Where can I find scheduling information? (back)
As the contractor(s) confirms where work will take place, citizens will be able to find the most up-to-date information about construction scheduling here on the project Web site. A construction alert map will be posted that shows where construction zone(s) will be and are located. The map will be updated frequently to reflect the latest scheduling information. The project team is committed to providing scheduling information as soon as possible but due to the changing nature of construction and the use of multiple crews, an overall schedule for the entire route will not be available.

How is the water main installed? (back)
Large water main construction typically involves four steps: (1) establish a safe working area, (2) dig a trench, (3) install pipe, and (4) restore the disturbed area. To limit impact on any one area, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities requires that construction progress in segments. This means that construction areas, particularly those impacting roadways and driveways, are restored to usable* condition as pipe installation progresses instead of all at one time at the end of the project. (*Usable condition allows for normal use of the property but may or may not include final restoration.)

How will construction impact me? (back)
Construction is not expected to begin until March 2005. City representatives and project team members are already working with property owners and other utilities to prepare for pipe installation. Every effort will be made to inform citizens in advance and minimize impacts where possible. Generally, construction impacts include the inconvenience of having large equipment, pipe and materials on site, noise and increased truck traffic during working hours, and slower traffic flow around the construction zones. Contractors must abide by the city noise ordinance and all safety regulations. As a general rule, the noise associated with this type of construction is no louder than daytime traffic.

Why can't the construction equipment go away at night and on weekends? (back)
The large equipment used to build a pipeline this size cannot be moved easily or quickly. Moving the equipment requires special trucks and many hours. "Walking" large equipment to another location is slow and damages concrete, asphalt or natural materials in its path. In addition, any time spent moving heavy equipment away from the work zone leaves less time for pipe installation and restoration, significantly increasing the time it takes to cross an individual property and complete the entire project. Every effort will be made to store equipment where it causes the least amount of inconvenience for property owners and the public. If you have a concern about this or any project-related issue, call the City/County Customer Service and Information Center at 704-336-7600.

How long will construction take? (back)
Construction is expected to take about 24 months to install and activate the 72-inch pipeline from the Franklin Water Treatment Plant on Brookshire Freeway (N.C. 16) to north of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport at Airport Road. Construction is expected to begin in March 2005.

This is a complex project involving many city, county and state departments, private utilities, and property owners. Progress on individual properties will vary widely depending on conditions such as weather, the slope of the land, what's underground, and how deep the pipe must be buried. In areas where access or safety is a factor, construction activity may last significantly longer than in other areas. As pipe installation progresses through each property, the level of impact will increase and then decrease.

What happens to fences, trees and structures in easement areas? (back)
Fences and gates are removed during construction and replaced after pipe installation is complete. Depending on easement negotiations and other factors, existing or new fence materials may be used. Permanent easements will be cleared of trees, shrubs, structures, and debris that will not be replaced after pipe installation. Temporary easements, used only for construction purposes, will be cleared of shrubs and trees not likely to survive the impact of construction. Every effort will be made to work around large trees and existing structures.

When and how will easement areas be restored? (back)
The contractor will begin to restore disturbed areas as soon as pipe installation progresses so that each area is impacted as little as possible. Easement areas will be restored to approximately the same grade as before construction unless shown otherwise on the design drawings or negotiated during the easement acquisition process. Areas will be graded, fertilized and seeded. Affected portions of driveways will be restored with like materials. Roads will be temporarily restored during construction and receive final restoration at the completion of the project. Planting of trees, plants and flowers may be delayed until after the new pipeline passes operational and quality tests and/or due to seasonal conditions.

After construction, what can be placed in a permanent easement? (back)
After construction, the property owner may not place permanent structures, fill or plant trees within permanent easements. Permanent structures include, but are not limited to buildings, tennis courts and swimming pools. Any gates placed across a permanent easement area will be supplied with double padlocked chains to provide access to both Utilities and the property owner.

After construction, what can be placed in a temporary construction easement? (back)
When the project is complete, Utilities has no rights to land included in temporary construction easements. Use reverts back to the legal property owner, becoming a regular part of the deeded parcel with no restrictions related to the Southwest Water Main.

Will my driveway be blocked? (back)
If the pipeline crosses your driveway, it will be temporarily blocked at some time during construction. But, access to your home/business will be maintained. Driveways and properties across the street from the pipe's path will not be blocked. City representatives have individually contacted property owners whose driveways are being crossed so that easements can be obtained. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities requires its contractor(s) to maintain access to all properties. When it is necessary to temporarily block a driveway, contractors will coordinate with property owners in advance.

How will cars and buses drive through the project area? (back)
Traffic and bus stops will be maintained through the project area but detours, one way traffic and other inconveniences will make travel much slower and may require alternate routes. Motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes, especially when construction is in their normal travel path. The project team and the Charlotte Department of Transportation are developing a traffic control plan to keep traffic flowing safely along the project route. Project representatives are also working with Charlotte Area Transit Authority (CATS) and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) transportation to ensure minimal disruption to bus stops during construction.

How will emergency personnel reach me? (back)
Emergency providers will respond to all calls just as they do now. Project representatives are working closely with emergency service providers such as fire, police and MEDIC. During construction, the team will continue to keep emergency personnel informed of construction locations and traffic controls. You should see no change in emergency response service due to water main construction.

Will my water or other utility services be turned off? (back)
Due to the size of the pipe and close proximity of individual services (such as water, natural gas, etc.), it may become necessary to temporarily interrupt service(s) if the pipeline is adjacent to or on your property. If a service interruption is planned, project representatives will work with affected property owners in advance to limit the disruption this may cause. Unexpected service interruptions will be treated as an emergency and efforts will immediately focus on restoring the service(s) as quickly as possible.

Will this project increase or decrease my water pressure? (back)
Currently, the Southwest Water Main is not connected to the city's existing water distribution system and, therefore, has no effect whatsoever on water pressure. When construction is complete and the pipeline is activated, customers should not notice changes in water pressure but will benefit from improvements in the distribution network that can reduce service disruptions.

What should I do if my business relies on uninterrupted water service? (back)
Businesses that rely on an uninterrupted flow of water may want to prepare for the unlikely event that water service is unexpectedly disrupted during construction.

Hair salons, restaurants and other businesses that rely on water regularly may want to store gallon jugs of water for emergency purposes.
All businesses may want to develop a plan in case water service is disrupted for a short period (1-3 hours) or for a longer period (3-12 hours).

If an unexpected service interruption occurs, crews will work around the clock to restore water service. Restoring water service becomes the top priority. If the interruption is expected to impact customers or the community for an extended period, check this Web site, the local news or call the City/County Customer Service and Information Center at 704-336-7600 for updates.

Official City of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Government Web Site