Surface Water Quality

Monitoring surface water quality is one of the best ways to protect streams and lakes. It helps identify problems, determ​ine whether streams and lakes are improving or declining over time, and most importantly it helps protect quality of life and public health.

Each year, a wide range of surface ​water quality monitoring data is collected from streams and lakes throughout the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

• Almost 15,000 water samples are collected per year and over 20 different parameters are routinely screened
  
• Automated samplers at 35 locations measure five parameters per hour, 24 hours a day. This equals approximately 1.5 million measurements a year
  
• Fish communities are assessed at five locations
  
• Macroinvertebrate communities are assessed at 34 locations
  

​To learn about techniques used to monitor local streams and lakes, please see the following videos:

• Monitoring Surface Water Quality with "Bugs" and Fish

• Monitoring Lakes

​This webpage is organized into four interest areas related to Surface ​Water Quality Monitoring. Please view any of the following links for more information about these topics.

• Quality of Streams & Lakes - Swim & fish advisories

There are several technical terms used on the monitoring pages above. Please see our Glossary of Monitoring Terms for help understanding some of the most common ones used.

Additional Monitoring Programs

Mon​itoring of stormwater outfalls, industrial and municipal facilities, septic systems, and Stormwater Control Measures is also conducted to improve stormwater quality and help keep our streams and lakes healthy. Information about these programs can be found as part of the Illicit Dischar​ge Detection and Elimination Program and Pilot Stormwater Control Measures Program.

Questions?
Contact:

Olivia Edwa​rds

Environmental Supervisor

980.314.3213

Olivia.Edwards@MeckNC.gov

​Monitor​ing Dat​a​

​Monitoring data being collected currently and in the past is available. Please scroll down for more information.

• Request for data records
  
• Data collected every hour/ 24 hours a day
  

Request for data records

​The following records are available upon request and at no cost. Only electronic versions of data are available from 1985 to present.

• 1969 – 1984:  Hand written into logs. Many are still on file.
  
• 1984 – 1993:  Lotus database
  
• 1994 – 2004:  FoxPro based data management network
  
• 2004 – Present: Custom water quality database application.
  

We welcome you to submit a request for surface water quality data. A minimum of two weeks is required for staff to process the request form and release the data. To submit a request, please fill out the Water Q​uality Request Form.

Staff follows strict Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) practices when collecting field measurements or surface water quality samples. When samples are delivered to a laboratory, the laboratory is required to provide finalized data electronically and in hard copy to the QA/QC officer within forty-five days. All field and laboratory data received by the QA/QC officer is compiled, reviewed, verified, validated, and warehoused.

Questions about data management and QA/QC?
Contact:

Robert Sowah

Mecklenburg County Environmental Analyst

Robert.Sowah@MeckNC.gov

Continuous Monitoring - Data collected every hour 24 hours a day

TheContinuous Monitoring ​and Alert Notification Network​ (CMANN) is comprised of a network of automated monitoring stations where data is being collected throughout Charlotte and Mecklenburg County every hour, 24 hours a day! Please see our CMA​NN website to see where and what data are being collected and to use its powerful data management tools. Our CMANN website contains a wealth of stream data and reporting tools that can help you better understand all the stream data being collected. Staff uses CMANN data and this website to identify both short and long-term changes in water quality.

Questions about CMANN? Contact:

Ryan Spidel​​

Mecklenburg County Senior Environmental Specialist​​

Ryan.Spidel@MeckNC.gov

​Monitor​ing Techniques​

​​Staff performs six different types of monitoring in local streams and lakes. Information about what is monitored, how it's done, and where it occurs is organized as follows. Please scroll down for more infor​mation about these topics.​

• Fixed Interval Monitoring
  
• In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring
  
• Lake Monitoring
  
• Biological Monitoring
  
• Stream surveys
  
• Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification Network
  

Rain and water levels in streams and lakes across Mecklenburg County are also monitored with 71 rain gauges, 3 lake gauges, and 50 stream gauges. Please see gauges and hydrologic data in and around Charlotte and Mecklenburg County for more information.

Fixed Interval Monitoring

For Fixed Interval Monitoring (FIM), staff either collects a surface water sample ("grab sample") for analysis in the lab or they test the water right at the stream or lake with a hand-held meter. See this map of FIM locations where the following parameters are measured monthly.​

In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring

For In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring, automated samplers collect several samples during a storm event. As the flow of a stream increases, the number of samples being collected increases too. This provides information about pollutant levels during the ENTIRE storm. Samples are combined into a composite sample and tested for the following parameters. See this map of In-Stream Stormwater Monitoring locations. The following parameters are measured at each location:

​For Lake Monitoring, staff collects surface water samples and information about lake conditions six times a year across three lakes: Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, and Lake Wylie. See this map of Lake Monitoring locations. The following parameters are measured at each location:

For Biological Monitoring, staff assesses fish and macroinvertebrate, or "bug", communities twice a year. Different types of fish and macroinvertebrates are more sensitive or tolerant to pollution than others. Staff can assess the health of a waterbody by the types of fish and macroinvertebrates they find. Fish and macroinvertebrates can be one of the best holistic indicators for assessing water quality. See this map of Biological Monitoring locations.

Stream Walks

Report Pollution

Call:

311 or 704.336.7600

Online:

submit an online form

Mobile Device:

download the CLT+ app
(Apple App & Google Play stores)

Follow us on social media

​​​