WATER QUALITY STUDY OF WOLF MEADOW BRANCH AND CODDLE CREEK FOR AUGUST 26 TO 28
County Residents May Notice Non-Toxic Red Tint in the Stream
Concord, NC- From Monday, August 26 to Wednesday, August 28, Brown and Caldwell, an environmental engineering contractor for the Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County, will perform a water quality study of Wolf Meadow Branch and Coddle Creek. As part of this study, Brown and Caldwell staff will conduct a dye tracer test.
This test will involve placing a non-toxic fluorescent dye in the headwaters of Wolf Meadow Branch, and taking measurements of the dye concentration at various points downstream in Wolf Meadow Branch and Coddle Creek upstream of the confluence with the Rocky River.
The red or pink fluorescent dye might be temporarily visible in the stream, especially in Wolf Meadow Branch, prior to dilution with Coddle Creek. The purpose of the dye tracer test is to measure the velocity and time-of-travel of the water in the streams. This information will be used to calibrate a hydraulic and water quality model.
Residents may notice the red tint to the streams for few hours or a few days following the placement of the dye. This scientific study is harmless and there is no cause for concern.
“The red-colored dye used in this study is different than food dyes. It is formulated as a water tracer and has been used for decades and is approved by the EPA as harmless to people, fish, and plants when diluted at scientifically calculated concentrations, which will be employed in this study,” said Clifton Bell, Professional Engineer with Brown and Caldwell.
The Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County is an independent, incorporated, public body funded by user fees with no taxing authority supporting Cabarrus County. The Authority serves as the primary planning agent for water and sewer facilities, provides wholesale wastewater transportation and treatment for its organizing jurisdictions, and provides reservoir management for some, or all, of its jurisdictions.
Rocky River Expansion Update (April 2024)
The Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently in Phase 3 of a multi phased project that will address the need for additional capacity at the plant. When completed Phase 3 will bring the plant from 26.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD.
Progress with Maintenance Canopy and Parshall Flume 103:
This month, we are highlighting the progress made at the Maintenance Canopy and Parshall Flume 103.
The Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently in Phase 3 of a multi phased project that will address the need for additional capacity at the plant. When completed Phase 3 will bring the plant from 26.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD.
Progress with Maintenance Canopy and Parshall Flume 103:
This month, we are highlighting the progress made at the Maintenance Canopy and Parshall Flume 103.
The new Maintenance Canopy will replace the old Maintenance Canopy that had to be demolished to provide the space needed by one of the most critical structures of the expanded facility, the new Blower Building, which had to be strategically located near the new Aeration Basin No.6.
When completed, the new Maintenance Canopy will be 5,570 square feet and house a new maintenance area for the expanded facilities. Like the old structure, the new Maintenance Canopy is close to the existing Maintenance Shop allowing staff to maintain mobile equipment, trucks, and trailers under a roof and be protected from the elements.
Construction crews have finished the concrete pad and overhead structure and are turning their attention to grading the site to prepare for the asphalt roadway that will be installed to allow vehicular access. Photos below show the progress made with the Maintenance Canopy and an aerial view of the canopy as crews prepare to install the asphalt roadway.
Crews have reached another project milestone this month. Parshall Flume 103 is online and officially measuring plant effluent flow!
A Parshall flume is a hydraulic structure that was developed in the 1920s to measure irrigation water flow but has now become the most popular and reliable method of also measuring wastewater flows. A flume works by creating a restriction or a narrow throat in a straight channel carrying water. This restriction creates friction and forces the water level to rise higher, upstream of the restriction, compared to the level of the water once the restriction is cleared. There is a mathematical formula that then takes the difference in water levels and uses it to calculate flow.
Parshall Flume 103 is an L-shaped structure and was constructed around an existing 72-inch diameter pipe. Once constructed, staff and construction crews worked together to store the incoming flow in empty tanks, including the newly constructed equalization tank. This storage provided the time needed to drain the 72-inch pipe so it could be cut, removed, and a stop gate be installed to block the flow from going to the old Parshall flume and forcing it to go to the new Parshall flume.
The new Parshall Flume 103 can measure flows as high as 91 MGD and replaces the old Parshall flume 3 that could only measure flows up to 67 MGD. By successfully bringing Parshall flume 103 online, the project continues to make progress on Phase 3 upgrades to bring the plant to 30 MGD.
Crews will now turn their attention to finishing the construction of Aeration Basin No. 6 and the gravity thickeners. The photos below show Parshall Flume 103 online, from a ground view and from an aerial view overhead.
Rocky River Expansion Update (March 2024)
The Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently in Phase 3 of a multi phased project that will address the need for additional capacity at the plant. When completed Phase 3 will bring the plant from 26.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD.
Progress with Aeration Basin No. 6:
This month, we are highlighting the progress made with the Blower Building and drainage around the new Aeration Basin No. 6.
Crews have made progress at the Blower Building, including installing the three new turbo blowers in the process room and the necessary electrical equipment in the building’s electrical room. Crews have also completed the wiring between the new electrical gear and the new blowers.
Once Phase 3 is complete and the new facilities are online, only two of the three blowers will need to operate on a typical day to provide agitation and oxygen for highly specialized bacteria to grow and consume the impurities in wastewater. Assuming these two blowers will operate at their maximum output, they will consume approximately 9,504 kilowatt-hours per day, which is equivalent to the average power consumed by 328 homes combined.
If you think this power consumption is high, consider that the Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant treats and cleans the wastewater produced by tens of thousands of households in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg County.
Crews have also completed portions of Aeration Basin No.6, and as they wrap up that work and restore the area to grade, they are including new drainage. Similar to building a home or other structure, we need to ensure that the upgraded site adequately drains to prevent stormwater and runoff from getting too close to the new structures.
In the below photos you can see crews installing a long trench drain on the high-grade side of the new Aeration Basin No.6. This looks similar to a trench drain installed around your home or garden to send the runoff and storm water away from your house, just on a larger scale. This particular trench drain is 150 feet long and the pipe emptying it is 12 inches in diameter.
Don’t Clog with FOG
Fats, Oils and Grease—known collectively as FOG—represent the most serious enemy of our sewer lines. Did you know cooking grease, fats, and oils being poured down drains are a major cause of residential sanitary sewer spills resulting in unsightly, smelly, and costly messes? When FOG is dumped down the drain, it forms large, thick grease balls that clog the pipes. Fats, oil and grease will clog sewer lines (the same way bad cholesterol can clog heart arteries), causing sewage back-ups and flooding. Sewage back ups can damage personal and public property. Drain excess grease or cooking oil into a can, cool and toss. Wipe any leftover grease from the pan with a paper towel and throw the paper towel away. Controlling FOG discharges will help WSACC prevent blockages and sewer lines from overflowing, which cause public health and water quality problems. To report a sanitary sewer overflow, please contact WSACC at 704-788-4164.
Prescription Pills: What’s in Your Water?
Let’s do an experiment. Grab a glass of water, pour some salt into it, mix it up and wait for the salt to dissolve. Now un-dissolve and remove it.
It’s not possible, right? Exactly how do you un-dissolve salt from water once it’s in there? Well, this is the exact problem that wastewater and water treatment plants are having when it comes to removing dissolved prescriptions and over-the counter medications from wastewater and water supplies. These plants are not designed to remove medicines that have been poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet. As a result, they pass through treatment systems and enter rivers and lakes, and ultimately straight to your tap. Which means your next dose of water could be dosed with something else.
So how do we prevent this? Spread the word. Never flush or pour old prescriptions down toilets or sinks—dispose of them in your household trash. To avoid accidental medication poisoning, keep pets and young children out of the bottles by dissolving the pills in water and mixing it with kitty litter or used coffee grounds. Then place it in a secure, lidded container in your trash. Taking these steps helps keep your pipes clear and our water safe!
It’s a Toilet,
Not a Trash Can
Never flush the following items (or put down the garbage disposal or drain). Toss them in the trash instead.
- Baby/Facial/Cleaning Wipes
- Tampons
- Sanitary Napkins
- Medication
- Hair
- Dental Floss
- Cotton Swabs/Ball
- Bandages
- Rags and Towels
- Rubber Items (like latex gloves)
- Fat, Cooking Oil, Grease
- Clothing Labels
- Candy/Food Wrappers
- Syringes
- Cigarette Butts
- Disposable Toilet Brushes
- Kitty Litter
- Aquarium Gravel
- Plastic Items
- Diapers
- Fruit Stickers
- Paper Towels
Only flush the three P’s… pee, poo, and (toilet) paper.
Recycle Items That May Contain Mercury
Mercury is a serious pollutant that greatly affects our environment. It is a bio-accumulative toxin that poses a risk to human health, wildlife, and the environment. Although it naturally occurs in the environment, mercury can be released into the air, water, and soil by human activity
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
246 General Services Drive
Concord, NC
(704) 920–3278
Collection Days: First Wednesday (8:00am – 4:00 pm) and the Third Saturday (8:00am – 1:00pm) each month.
Products That May Contain Mercury:
- Thermometers (looks like a silvery liquid)
- Thermostats
- Blood–pressure cuffs
- Barometers
- Fluorescent and high–intensity discharge (HID) lamps
- Mercurochrome
- Auto switches
- Float switches
- Button–cell batteries
- Old latex paint (pre–1990)
- Some oil–based paints
- Old alkaline batteries (pre–1996)
- Old light–up tennis shoes (pre–1997 LA gear)
- Old fungicides for seeds and turf
- Weight/counterweight in grandfather clocks
- Any type of battery
- Other Mercury containing items
of Cabarrus County
232 Davidson Highway
Concord, North Carolina 28027
704-786-1783 | Email Us