Project Components
Several components will be constructed as part of the overall Stowe Project.
Construction began in February 2022 and the entire project is expected to be completed in 2026. In general, construction will include activities such as: surveying, tree clearing and vegetation removal, environmental controls, earthwork (excavation, importing fill, grading, etc.), building stone roads and work sites, drilling and rock hammering, pouring concrete, building the facility components, large equipment deliveries, electrical work, testing and commissioning, and finally restoration. Construction will be occurring in phases for each project component, so some of these activities may be occurring at the same time or iteratively depending on the location.
The Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility will be a new wastewater treatment plant operated by Charlotte Water and located along the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County. The Facility will provide wastewater treatment services for communities in northwestern Mecklenburg County and the Cities of Belmont and Mount Holly in eastern Gaston County. Initially, this Facility have the capacity to process up to 15 million gallons of wastewater per day and long-term this Facility will be expanded to have the capacity to process up to 25 million gallons of wastewater per day.
The wastewater flows from Mount Holly and northwestern Mecklenburg County will arrive at the Long Creek Pump Station and will go through the first two steps of the wastewater treatment process before being pumped under Long Creek to the Stowe Water Resource Recovery Facility for the remainder of the wastewater treatment process.
Construction Schedule: 2022 - 2026
*Please note that schedules are approximate and subject to change
Charlotte Water is building two access roads to provide dedicated access to the new Stowe Facility and the Long Creek Pump Station. The new Stowe Facility is located on a secluded peninsula site along the Catawba River and directly across Long Creek from the existing Long Creek Pump Station.
A new Northern Access Road will be constructed off Belmeade Road and follow the existing Duke Energy transmission line corridor to the Long Creek Pump Station.
A Southern Access Road will be constructed to link the Long Creek Pump Station and the Stowe Facility. The Southern Access Road will include a bridge over Long Creek that will include a multi-use path for bicycles and pedestrians to improve public access to the Catawba River. During construction of the bridge, kayaking and fishing in Long Creek will be restricted.
While the permanent access roads are being built, construction traffic will access the site using two existing roads. On the west side, traffic will enter through an existing industrial park off Belmeade Drive (via Southern Dyestuff Drive). On the east side, traffic will use Whitewater Center Parkway and Hawfield Road.
Construction Schedule: 2022 - 2023
*Please note that schedules are approximate and subject to change
To build the Stowe facility, we’ll need to close some existing trails for safety. There are two trails located on Charlotte Water's property that need to be closed for public safety: the Whitewater Center's Tortuga Trail and Carolina Thread Trail's Long Creek Preserve Trail.
However, the Stowe Community Benefit Project will build a new educational walking trail and a multi-use path along the new entrance road and over the South Access Road Bridge. Additionally, the Whitewater Center built the Field Trip Trail to offset the closure of these trails.
We understand how important these trails are to our communities, and we’re working with the Whitewater Center and Catawba Lands Conservancy to reroute impacted trails.
The Long Creek Pump Station is located at the end of Hawfield Road off Whitewater Center Parkway, past the overflow parking lot. The existing Long Creek Pump Station will be upgraded, and a second facility called the Stowe Headworks and Influent Pump Station will be built next to it.
These facilities will collect incoming wastewater flows from Mount Holly and northwestern Mecklenburg County and process them through the first two steps of the primary treatment stage of the wastewater treatment process. New wastewater pipelines will be installed under Long Creek to transport the partially treated wastewater to the new Stowe Water Resource Recovery Facility for the completion of the wastewater treatment process.
The wastewater flows from Mount Holly and northwestern Mecklenburg County will arrive at the Long Creek Pump Station and will go through the first two steps of the wastewater treatment process before being pumped under Long Creek to the Stowe Water Resource Recovery Facility for the remainder of the wastewater treatment process.
Construction Schedule: 2022 - 2025
*Please note that schedules are approximate and subject to change
The new Mount Holly Pump Station is located on the same property as the existing wastewater treatment plant at Tuckaseege Park and construction is currently underway. Additionally, wastewater pipelines are being installed under the Catawba River to connect Mount Holly with the Charlotte Water wastewater collection system.
Wastewater from Mount Holly users will first travel from local homes and business to the Mount Holly Pump Station. Then the wastewater will be pumped through a pipeline located approximate 65' beneath the Catawba River and Long Creek to connect the Mount Holly Pump Station to the Long Creek Pump Station.
Construction traffic is using a new temporary access road off Tuckaseege Road to avoid using the streets in Tuckaseege Park. After construction, the daily operational traffic for the pump station will use the exiting gate to the wastewater treatment plant off Broome Street.
The City of Mount Holly is currently studying its available options for the decommissioning of the existing wastewater treatment plant that is located on the same property as the new Mount Holly Pump Station.
Construction Schedule: 2022 - 2025
*Please note that schedules are approximate and subject to change
A new pump station will be built on the site of the current Belmont Wastewater Treatment Plant off of North Tenth Street. Additionally, wastewater pipelines will be installed under the Catawba River to connect Belmont with the Charlotte Water wastewater collection system.
Wastewater from Belmont users will first travel from local homes and businesses to the Belmont Pump Station. The wastewater will then be pumped through wastewater pipelines located deep beneath the Catawba River to the Paw Creek Pump Station.
During Phase 1 of the Stowe Project, Belmont’s wastewater flows will be treated at the Irwin Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. During Phase 2 of the Stowe Project, Belmont’s wastewater flows will begin being treated at the expanded Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility.
The City of Belmont is currently studying its available options for the decommissioning of the existing wastewater treatment plant on the same property.
Construction Schedule: TBD
For Charlotte Water to provide wastewater treatment services to Mount Holly and Belmont, their flows must be pumped through wastewater pipelines that connect to the Charlotte Water connections system.
These pipes will be located in the bedrock deep below the Catawba River and Long Creek. To install these pipes, our team will use a technique called horizontal directional drilling - or HDD. This is a construction technique where a tunnel is drilled into underground bedrock to form a pathway and then a pipeline is pulled through that tunnel. This tunnel will be 65 to 75 feet under the bottom of the Catawba River and Long Creek.
Horizontal Directional Drilling is one of safest ways to install a pipeline, because there is a minimal ground disturbance to the surface. HDD is an industry-preferred method for installing long pipelines under bodies of water and was selected specifically for this project following extensive construction methodology evaluations.
Force main pipes will be installed in three locations for this project:
- Two force main pipes will be installed under the Catawba River and Long Creek to link the Mount Holly Pump Station to the Long Creek Pump Station.
- Two force main pipes will be installed under Long Creek to connect the Long Creek Pump Station/Stowe Headworks and Influent Pump Station to the Stowe Water Resource Recovery Facility.
- Two force main pipes will be installed under a different section of the Catawba River to link the Belmont Pump Station to the Paw Creek Pump Station.
Construction Schedule: 2022 - 2023
*Please note that schedules are approximate and subject to change.
The Regional Solids Transfer Project is a multi-year, multi-phase project that Charlotte Water is implementing to diversify biosolids management. A key component of this project is to implement a regional strategy for processing biosolids.
Biosolids from the Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Irwin Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the future Stowe Water Resource Recovery Facility will be transferred to and treated at the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Management Facility.
The biosolids generated at the Stowe Facility will be pumped to the McAlpine Regional Biosolids Advanced Treatment Facility for treatment.
Phase 1A of the Regional Solids Transfer Project will construct underground pipelines connecting the Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility to the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. These underground pipelines will transport biosolids from the Stowe facility to the McAlpine Creek Plant for treatment.