NCS000395_MeckCo 2021 Annual Report Narrative_20211118

StormWater.CharMeck.org
2145 Suttle Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28208
November 18, 2021
Ms. Jeanette Powell, MS4 Program Coordinator
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources
Stormwater Permitting Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
RE: Storm Water Management Program Assessment FY2021 Annual Report Certification
NPDES Permit NCS000395
Dear Ms. Powell:
In August 2021, we submitted via BIMS the FY2021 Stormwater Management Program
Assessment for NPDES Permit NC000395 as required by NPDES Permit NCS000395. Since we
were audited during the FY2021 reporting period, we also submitted as instructed a letter dated
August 30, 2021 summarizing the status of the audit and any corresponding notice that was
issued. As in previous years, we prepared a narrative version of the FY2021 Stormwater
Management Program Assessment that includes in Attachment 1 an assessment of the
effectiveness of our FY2021 TMDL compliance activities as required by Section H of our
Permit. This narrative report effectively summarizes the Permit compliance activities completed
for communication with our co-permittees. This report is attached for your consideration along
with a signed certification statement (in duplicate). Also attached separately is the October
version of our Storm Water Management Plan for use in FY2022 that was revised from the
previous version dated July 2021 based on the findings from our annual assessment.
Please contact me at [phone], if you have any questions or require additional information.
Sincerely,
Rusty Rozzelle
Water Quality Program Manager
Attachments: Certification & SWMPA
Storm Water Management Program Assessment Report
for Permit No. NCS000395
Reporting Period:
July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021
Co-Permittees:
Mecklenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Central Piedmont
Community College and the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville,
Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville
Report Date: November 2021
Report Prepared by:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
2145 Suttle Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28208-5237

1

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................. 3
Section 2: Overview and Funding ............................................................................................ 4
Section 3: Public Education and Outreach Program ................................................................ 5
3.1 Implementation Status for FY2021 ......................................................................... 5
3.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 15
3.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 16
Section 4: Public Involvement and Participation Program .................................................... 17
4.1 Implementation Status for FY2021 ....................................................................... 17
4.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 21
4.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 22
Section 5: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program ........................................... 23
5.1 Implementation Status for FY2021 ....................................................................... 23
5.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 37
5.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 38
Section 6: Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control Program ..................................... 39
6.1 Implementation Status for FY2022 ....................................................................... 39
6.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 40
6.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 41
Section 7: Post-Construction Site Runoff Control Program .................................................. 42
7.1 Implementation Status for FY2021 ....................................................................... 42
7.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 44
7.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 45
Section 8: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations .................. 46
8.1 Implementation Status for FY2021 ....................................................................... 46
8.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 52
8.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 52
Section 9: Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ............................................................... 53
9.1 Implementation Status for FY2021 ....................................................................... 53
9.2 TMDL Activities by Watershed............................................................................ 56
9.3 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021...................... 57
9.4 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ..................................... 58
Section 10: Program Effectiveness .......................................................................................... 59
Section 11: Program Enhancements for FY2022 ..................................................................... 60
Section 12: Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan Modifications for FY2021 ..... 63

Figures

Figure 1: Percentage of Survey Respondents Aware that Stormwater Drains to Surface Waters 15
Figure 2: Adopted-A-Stream Cleanup Locations in FY2021 ....................................................... 20
Figure 3: Number of Volunteers by Fiscal Year ........................................................................... 21
Figure 4: Mecklenburg County Phase II Stream Monitoring Sites............................................... 35
Figure 5: Stream Walk/Outfall Inspection-Inventory ................................................................... 36
Figure 6: Percentage of NOVs Issued to IDDE Inspections Conducted ...................................... 37
Figure 7: Percentage of NOVs Issued to Erosion Control Inspections Conducted ...................... 40
2
Figure 8: Percentage of BMP Deficiencies Detected to Inspections Conducted .......................... 44
Figure 9: Percentage of Deficiencies Detected at Facilities to Inspections Conducted ................ 51
Figure 10: Waters of Mecklenburg County with Approved TMDLs ........................................... 55
Tables:
Table 1: BMP Summary Table for the Public Education and Outreach Program .......................... 5
Table 2: Presentations Conducted in FY2021 .............................................................................. 12
Table 3: Events Attended in FY2021............................................................................................ 14
Table 4: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................... 15
Table 5: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 .............................................. 16
Table 6: BMP Summary Table for the Public Involvement and Participation Program .............. 17
Table 7: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................... 21
Table 8: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 .............................................. 22
Table 9: BMP Summary Table for the IDDE Program ................................................................ 23
Table 10: Action/Watch Level Exceedances Identified by Fixed Interval Monitoring ................ 32
Table 11: Number and Type of Service Requests and Emergency Responses by Jurisdiction .... 34
Table 12: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................. 37
Table 13: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ............................................ 38
Table 14: BMP Summary Table for the Construction Site Storm Water Control Program ......... 39
Table 15: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................. 40
Table 16: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ............................................ 41
Table 17: BMP Summary Table for the Post-Construction Site Runoff Control Program .......... 42
Table 18: Summary of BMP Inspections ...................................................................................... 43
Table 19: BMP Inspections Revealing Problems from 2007 through 2021 ................................. 43
Table 20: Summary of BMP Education in FY21.......................................................................... 44
Table 21: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................. 44
Table 22: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ............................................ 45
Table 23: BMP Summary Table for the Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping Program ..... 46
Table 24: Employee Training by Jurisdiction in FY2021 ............................................................ 49
Table 25: Summary of Inspection Findings from FY2008 through FY2021 ............................... 50
Table 26: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................. 52
Table 27: BMP Summary Table for the TMDL Program............................................................. 53
Table 28: Approved TMDLS for Mecklenburg County’s Phase I and Phase II Jurisdictions ..... 54
Table 29: FY2021 TMDL Activities by Watershed ..................................................................... 56
Table 30: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021 ............................. 57
Table 31: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ............................................ 58
Table 32: Measures of Success in FY2021 ................................................................................... 59
Table 33: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022 ............................................ 60
Table 34: Changes Made to the Storm Water Plan in FY2021 .................................................... 63
Table 35: Changes Made to the Storm Water Plan in FY2022 .................................................... 65
Attachments
Attachment 1: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the TMDL Program ....................................... 66

3

Section 1: Introduction

This document satisfies the annual reporting requirement of Storm Water Permit No.
NCS000395 as follows:
• Evaluate program compliance, the appropriateness of best management practices
(BMPs), and progress towards achieving measurable goals; and
• Evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Storm Water Quality Management
Program Plan, herein referred to as the Storm Water Plan.

The purpose of the Storm Water Plan is to describe the actions undertaken by the Permittee to
ensure compliance with Permit requirements, including all BMPs and their associated
measurable goals. Implementation of the BMPs consistent with the provisions of the Storm
Water Plan constitutes compliance with the standard of reducing pollutants to the maximum
extent practicable as required by the Permit. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
(CMSWS) has developed and is maintaining the Storm Water Plan for Permit No. NCS000395
on behalf of all co-permittees, including Mecklenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
(CMS), Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), and the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson,
Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville. This Storm Water Plan is available on the
following website: http://storm water.charmeck.org (select “Surface Water Quality,” select
“Program Overview,” select “Current Storm Water Management Plan” under Phase II Permit at
the bottom of the page).

Section 2 of this annual report provides background information regarding the implementation of
the Storm Water Plan, including a fiscal analysis. Sections 3 through 9 provide the following:
• Detailed description of the status of the implementation of the Storm Water Plan,
including information on the development and implementation of each major component
of the plan between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 (FY2021). Activities and associated
schedules for implementation of the Storm Water Plan during FY2021 are contained in
the Permittee’s FY2021 Work Plan, which is available upon request.
• Description of any proposed changes to the Storm Water Plan, including a justification
for these changes and how the changes will impact the effectiveness of the Storm Water
Plan.
• Summary of data accumulated through the implementation of the Storm Water Plan,
including an evaluation of this data.
• Assessment of compliance with the Permit requirements, including a description of the
specific BMPs implemented and whether the measurable goals for these BMPs have been
satisfied. Additional detail regarding these BMPs and measurable goals is provided in
Sections 3 through 9 of the Storm Water Plan provided at the above website.

Section 10 of this document provides an evaluation of overall program compliance and the
effectiveness of the Storm Water Plan as well as the individual BMPs contained in the Plan.
Section 11 describes the program modifications to be implemented effective July 1, 2021 to
accomplish the intent of the Storm Water Plan and enhance overall Program effectiveness.
Section 12 describes the modifications to the Storm Water Plan for FY2022 as a result of the FY
2021 evaluation of the effectiveness of the Plan.

4

Section 2: Overview and Funding

CMSWS is responsible for developing, implementing, managing and overseeing the Storm
Water Plan under the direction of Mecklenburg County’s Water Quality Program Manager. The
specific tasks, deadlines and assigned staff for fulfillment of the Storm Water Plan are described
in an annual Work Plan. A copy of this Work Plan is available upon request to Mecklenburg
County’s Water Quality Program Manager. As specified in the Permit, each co-permittee is
responsible for compliance with the terms and conditions of the Permit for storm water activities
and watershed specific requirements within their jurisdictional area. Appropriate legal authority
has been established by each jurisdiction for implementation of the Storm Water Plan through
the adoption of Surface Water Pollution Control Ordinances that prohibit illicit discharges to the
MS4 as well as the adoption of post-construction and erosion control ordinances. Mecklenburg
County is delegated authority by each jurisdiction to enforce these ordinances. Funding for
implementation of the Storm Water Plan is shared by each jurisdiction based on an adopted
Funding Strategy. Implementation costs for the reporting period of July 1, 2020 through June
30, 2021 are estimated at $627,571.87, including $529,242.95 in labor costs, $59,242.93 in
laboratory costs and $39,085.99 in equipment and supply costs. For the next annual reporting
period from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, implementation costs for the Storm Water Plan
are estimated at $626,757.68, including $527,989.76 in labor costs, $46,340.51 in laboratory
costs and $52,427.41 in equipment and supply costs. The Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg
County utilize the revenue they receive from their storm water fee to fund the implementation of
the Program with the exception of CMS and CPPC, which do not receive revenue from the storm
water fee and therefore fund Phase II Program implementation through their general budget.

5

Section 3: Public Education and Outreach Program

CMSWS has developed and implemented a Public Education and Outreach Program for
Mecklenburg County’s Phase II jurisdictions/entities. The goals of the Public Education and
Outreach Program are as follows:
1. Change public behaviors to reduce sources of water pollution and improve water quality.
2. Promote participation in activities aimed at restoring water quality conditions.

3.1 Implementation Status for FY2021

Table 1 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the Public Education and
Outreach Program and the specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021
(FY2021) for implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable goals for the
BMPs specified in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 1: BMP Summary Table for the Public Education and Outreach Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
3, 4,
5, 7, 8
Education &
Outreach
(Planning &
Coordination,
Educational
Materials,
Newsletters,
Website,
Schools, &
Commercial)
(PE-10)
During FY21, the development and implementation of CMSWS’s pollution
prevention educational campaign included various planning and coordination
activities involving the City of Charlotte (Phase I Permit), the Towns, CPCC,
and CMS. These activities including numerous meetings and phone calls. One
of CMSWS’s educational activities involved the distribution of materials by
staff when conducting inspections and responding to citizen requests for
service. All Phase II town halls were supplied with residential pollution
prevention brochures. All town libraries were also supplied material, except for
Pineville. The following handouts/brochures/pamphlets are available to staff for
distribution:
• A Guide to Used Oil Recycling
• Scoop the Poop (proper handling of pet waste)-Updated postcard in FY20
• What Goes in Here Ends Up Here – postcard regarding neighborhood trash
pollution
• Only Rain Goes Down the Storm Drain – The Citizen’s Guide to Pollution
Prevention
• Volunteer Opportunities
• A Brief Look at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services – Your Storm
Water Fees at Work
• Grease Free (proper disposal of grease from Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Utilities)
• Household Hazardous Waste – What do you do with left over chemicals
• Environmental Notices for Homeowners– Disposal into the storm drain is
against the law (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and
Korean)
• Environmental Notices for Businesses– Disposal into the storm drain is
against the law (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and
Korean)
• Water Watchers door hanger
• Household Hazardous Waste slider
• Dispose of Leaves Properly postcard
• Water Quality Buffers postcard
• When Surface Waters Turn Colors (Pollen, Tannin, Iron Bacteria)
• Automotive Facilities Pollution Prevention Poster (English and Spanish)
• Clean Boating Practices
X

6

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
• Fish Consumption Advisory
• Invasive, Exotic Plants
• NC Division of Natural Resources Fact Sheets:
o Iron Bacteria
o Surface Film
o Water Foam
• Non-Structural Best Management Practices Handout
o Mobile Detailer
o Landscapers
o Painters
o Contractors
o Carpet Cleaners -Updated to Indoor Cleaning in FY20 (English and
Spanish)
o Vehicle Service
o Food Service -Updated in FY19 (Chinese, English, and Spanish)
o Multi-Family Complexes
o Stone Cutting & Fabrication Industry
o Concrete Industry
o Commercial Property Management
o Asphalt Sealing- Created FY21
o Pool & Spa Maintenance -Updated in FY20 (English and Spanish)
o Horizontal Directional Drilling
o Breweries -Created in FY20
o Equipment Repair
o Pressure Washers – update FY21
o Rooftop Workers
o Realtors
o Well Drillers – Created in FY21
• Structural Best Management Practices Handout
o Dry Detention
o Rain Garden
o Sand Filter
o Stormwater Wetland
o Wet Pond
Distribution of Educational Promotional Items
The following promotional items are available for distribution at events.
• Hand Sanitizer
• Lip Balm
• Ink Pens
• Temporary Stormy Tattoos
• Stormy Stickers
• Magnets
• “Scoop the Poop” bag dispenser w/flashlight
• Stormy Plush
• Color changing cups
• Sunscreen
• Flashlights
• Keychains
• Lunch boxes
• Umbrellas
• Water Bottles
• Rain Gauges
• Grocery bags
• Whistles

7

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
• Golf/boat towels
During FY21, educational newsletters were developed and disseminated to the
Phase II co-permittees covering the targeted pollutants described above. These
newsletters focused on the actions the public should take to reduce pollution,
including participating in volunteer programs, and reporting suspected pollution
problems. The @StormWaterCM social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter &
Instagram) were used as the main method to help disseminate messages to the
Towns. Phase II social media contacts were responsible for sharing messages on
the Towns’ or institutions’ social media accounts. Due to not using social
media, Barbara Monticello with the Town of Pineville was emailed messages to
be included in the local town mailer. The topics for Pineville this year included
proper motor oil disposal, yard waste, sediment sources, fecal coliform bacteria
sources and the promotion of the tree seedling sale. In order to address
compliance with the Goose Creek TMDL, additional social media messages
were created for the Town of Mint Hill that focused on reducing bacteria levels
in surface waters. Social media messages are typically used to promote the sale
of tree seedlings and rain barrels by the Mecklenburg County Soil and Water
Conservation District. Additional water quality educations topics were included
with monthly emails to volunteers if space was available.
In November 2020, over 3,000 teachers were emailed information on the
educational programs CMSWS offers to school age children. Four new flyers
were created to promote school educational offering for various age groups.
This information was imbedded into an email and sent to science teachers with
all grade levels. Programs offered include activities on pollution prevention, the
history of water usage and pollution of drinking water sources in Mecklenburg
County, a demonstration of the Enviroscape model, A Day in the Life of Water
Quality Staff, and a macroinvertebrate identification lesson. An additional email
was sent out to teachers again when COVID-19 restrictions were put in place.
CMSWS adapted many of our education programs to be able to be done by staff
“virtually” visiting the class on their digital classroom platform. Advertisements
for promoting this educational effort included an informational sheet detailing
the program offerings and was again imbedded into an email and sent to our
teacher list. As a result, 8 school presentations were given in the Phase II
jurisdiction to 200 students as follows:
• 2/22/21, Pineville Elementary – 5th Grade, Ecosystems, 24 students
• 2/22/21, Pineville Elementary – 2nd Grade, Water Cycle, 18 students
• 3/1/21, Pineville Elementary – 2nd Grade, Water Cycle, 28 students
• 3/4/21, Pineville Elementary – 5th Grade, Ecosystems, 21 students
• 3/11/21, Pineville Elementary – 5th Grade, Ecosystems, 11 students
• 3/11/21, Pineville Elementary, 2nd Grade, Water Cycle, 24 students
• 3/31/21, Long Creek Elementary, 3rd Grade, Enviroscape, 35 students
• 3/31/21, Long Creek Elementary, 3rd Grade, Enviroscape, 39 students
In addition to school presentations, CMSWS conducted 38 public presentations
(mostly virtual) described in Table 2 and attended 3 events (virtually) described
in Table 3. During FY21, a special outreach campaign focusing on reducing
bacteria level in our streams was again utilized. The campaign was called
“Scoop the Poop.” The campaign included Social Media Posts and videos, a
website banner and additional website information including a story map,
vehicle magnets, and a flagging campaign in North Mecklenburg Park in
Huntersville, where at select locations piles of animal waste not picked up by
owners were “flagged” with a sign that identified harmful bacteria and parasites
that could be present in the waste. During FY21, informational pages covering a
wide variety of topics were maintained on the Storm Water Services website,
including current water quality conditions, storm water pollutants and ways to

8

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
minimize them, reporting pollution, volunteering, municipal storm water
projects/activities, etc. These web pages also provide a means to register for
various volunteer initiatives. The targeted pollutants on the pollution prevention
pages include bacteria and pet waste, turbidity, and sediment, as well as
phosphorus, nitrogen, organics, fertilizers, pesticides, yard waste, surfactants,
hydrocarbons, pH, and toxic compounds. The targeted audiences include
residential, commercial, and institutional. The general messages promoted on
the web pages are street to stream, only rain should go down the storm drain,
and be a Water Watcher/Volunteer. The web pages also provide contacts for
reporting pollution problems/concerns and submitting questions to staff. During
FY21, Google Analytics showed CMSWS’s web pages had 417,437 page views
and 176,924 unique pageviews, which is an increase from the 350,886 page
views in FY2020. The pages most often visited other than the homepage were
the Floodplains and Maps, and the Storm Water Design Manual. For Industrial/
Commercial Education, a new Well Drilling BMP sheet was created, and the
Pressure Washing BMP sheet was updated. CMSWS staff updated the handouts,
developed a list of current businesses in the county, and drafted a cover letter.
The handouts and letters were completed in English and Spanish. The finalized
letters were signed by Marc Recktenwald of Charlotte Storm Water Services
and Rusty Rozzelle of Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services. The final
mailing list identified 112 well drillers and 628 pressure washers. In addition,
utility bill inserts were sent to over 200,000 Charlotte Water customers in July,
October, January, and April that included information regarding water quality
and pollution prevention. Educational mailings were sent to over 4,000
churches, multi-family complex properties and large parking lot owners to
educate them regarding new coal tar sealant regulations and associated
environmental impacts.
6 &
16
Public Education
& Involvement
Media Campaign
PE-I(13)
For FY21, CMSWS was under contract with Saturday Brands for creative
design, and The Agency Marketing Group for media buying. CMSWS staff and
staff from The Agency Marketing Group and Saturday Brands met monthly to
discuss the budget and the media campaign direction. A water quality and
volunteer strategic marketing/advertising strategies were created which outlines
the creative and media plans for FY21. The three focuses of the media
campaign are, Reporting Pollution, Volunteering, and Flood Safety.
Additionally, there is a City of Charlotte only campaign on Infrastructure. The
media campaign was also used to promote the 311 helplines for reporting
suspected pollution problems. The campaign included a media buy that utilized
the following Mediums.
TRADITIONAL MEDIA – Broadcast Television, Radio, Billboard & Print.
Traditional media is measured using the following:
• Impressions – An impression is the number of individuals that have seen
and/or heard the ad at least once.
• Reach – Indicated as a percentage of the total audience chosen. Ex: all
persons 25 to 54 years of age, or all persons 18 year of age or older.
• Frequency – The average number of times an individual has seen or heard
the ad during a specific time frame or campaign flight.
Broadcast Television – CMSWS used WCNC, located within the Charlotte
designated media area (DMA), to promote Storm Water messaging. WCNC is
viewed by 72% of the Adults in the Charlotte DMA each week. The DMA
includes 13 counties surrounding Mecklenburg with Mecklenburg accounting
for just over half of the viewership. CMSWS used WCNC weather integration
with “Walk and Talks” with Brad Panovich to discuss local creeks and discuss
local storm water issues.
Radio – The buy included Beasley Radio (WPEG and WBAV) and Latina 102.1
X

9

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
to target African American and Hispanic listeners to promote water quality
initiatives, and volunteer programs and educate about flood safety.
Billboards – Outdoor Advertising was used in the form of large banners and
placed on CATS Busses and Light Rail. This is a broad-based outreach medium
that reaches all age groups and all demographics. The ads run continually
throughout the year until the placement is bought out.
Print – The only print media used this year were the Utility Bill Inserts (UBI)
that are included in the Charlotte Water bill. A schedule of the UBI and the
message topics we agreed on by the team and planned around scheduled events,
including Hurricane Season, The Big Spring Clean, Infrastructure Week, etc.
DIGITAL MARKETING – On-line Digital Display, Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Campaigns, Charlotte Agenda Promotions, Charlotte Five Articles and Data
Fusion. Digital Marketing is measured using the following:
• Targeted Impressions – An impression targeted to a specific audience
characteristic, such as age, gender, interests, etc. Of the targeted individuals,
this counts the number of individuals that have seen and/or heard the ad at
least once.
• Interaction/Clicks – The number of people that have clicked on an ad or
word phrase bringing them to your website or landing page.
Digital Display – Digital display advertising is graphic advertising on websites
and apps through banners made of text and images. The main purpose of display
advertising is to deliver general advertisements and brand messages to site
visitors. Our online display ads are visible and clickable on a variety of websites
within the targeted geography of Mecklenburg County. These sites are
monitored to assure they are legitimate and appropriate for everyone.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) - PPC is an online advertising model in which advertisers
pay each time a user clicks on one of their paid search ads using Google.com.
We strategically bid on short keywords and longer tail keyword phrases and
when those terms are searched, our results show up at the top of the Google
Search results. Our ads click through to a designated website or landing page.
Charlotte Agenda – CharlotteAgenda.com is a very popular website for
Charlotte news and things to do in and around Charlotte. We purchase a
monthly calendar event on the site for Second Saturday Volunteer Events. The
promotion starts on Thursdays prior to the second Saturday event.
Charlotte Five Articles – CharlotteFive is a part of The Charlotte Observer that
is similar to Charlotte Agenda. CharlotteFive is a very popular website, daily
email and social media platform. We partner with CharlotteFive to have specific
articles written by the editors. The articles are 300 to 500 words with two or
three pictures.
Data Fusion – Data Fusion Marketing uses an audience-based campaign across
Connected Television, Display and Video targeted at the household level to
promote messaging of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services. It uses
OTT (Over the Top) television that is streamed digitally through services such
as Hulu, Roku or any other streaming service. This digital approach is geo-
targeted to Mecklenburg County and individual behaviors and actions r ather
than just a broad-based outreach approach.
SOCIAL MEDIA – Facebook and Instagram. Social Media is measured using
the following:
• Impressions – An impression is the number of individuals that have seen
and/or heard the ad at least once.
• Reach – The number of people “Stopped” or paused on an ad or post in a
social media feed.
• Engagements - An engagement is when a person, likes, comments or shares
a social media ad or post.

10

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
• Clicks- The number of times a person clicks on our ads to be taken to a page
of the website or landing page.
Facebook – We used Facebook advertising as we've seen great success on the
platform in the past. Facebook events have helped us to build a community of
active volunteers. Boosted posts also remain a great way to increase
engagement for both our current fans and beyond. I n addition, Facebook's
retargeting and lookalike capabilities have been instrumental in keeping
interested citizens engaged with us and also reaching new audiences.
Facebook’s lookalike audience targeting allows us to make a mirror audience of
our current Facebook fans and target them with content.
Instagram – Instagram is an affordable advertising option with great targeting
capabilities. It's not only a great way to expand our reach to young people (high
schoolers, college students, and recent grads), there is also a growing presence
of older audiences, 59% of internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 use
Instagram and 33% of internet users between the ages of 30 and 49 use
Instagram. As the platform continues to expand. Both "in feed" and "stories"
ads are a great way to drive traffic to our website.
Sprout Social is an online social media platform used for the posting,
responding to comments, and data tracking of multiple social channels. This
was purchased in July 2019 to help with social media posting and management,
which was a responsibility that was pulled from outside vendors and brought in
house in FY20 due to policy changes.
Full Storm Water Campaign Totals for FY21(includes Water Quality,
Volunteer, Flood, and Infrastructure):
FY21 Social Media Data
Impressions = 3,064,262
Reach = 1,117,788
Engagements = 519,708
Post Link Clicks = 83,586
PPC, Display & Data Fusion
Impressions = 3,448,030
Clicks = 3,198
Click Through Rate (CTR) = .18%
Charlotte Five
Impressions = 8,450
Charlotte Agenda
Impressions = 15,100
Broadcast Television
Impressions = 2,930,665
Reach = 58%
Frequency = 5.4
Radio
Impressions = 1,229,400
Reach = 61%
Frequency = 2.9
A Public Opinion Survey was conducted in March, April & May of 2021. The
purpose of the survey is to measure how successful the ad campaign is at
reaching the general public and where strategic plans may need to change for
the following years. There were a few notable results, one is that about 75% of
survey respondents recognize that “Water that flows into storm drains typically
goes directly to local creeks, ponds, and lakes” which is positive in making the
street to stream water quality connection, but still realizing that we have room
for improvement. The survey also showed that about 40% of people surveyed
were able to recall seeing or hearing something in the past 12 months about

11

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
CMSWS, and the most frequent place was in the mail/utility bill insert.
Findings and Recommendations
1. Traditional broadcast advertising was scaled down and more digital
platforms were used. The media campaign has proven to be effective and
efforts to continue and improve public awareness continues.
2. The Umbrella Team will continue to develop new content with the goal of
reaching diverse audiences. The Be a Good Neighbor campaign was very
effective.
3. Social media impressions were down from last year but were higher than
2019, and still well above the industry standard.
4. Top performing ads for the Volunteer program were Be a Good Neighbor
video and Creek Week.
5. The broader audience range of 18-65 resulted in greater numbers for the
volunteer ads, although a number of ads were rejected, and several events
cancelled due to COVID-19.
Social media ads were impacted by issues of being rejected. Scoop the Poop ad
did not perform well like it has before due to rejection issues. The top
performing ads were ones with captivating imagery such as real pollution issues
impacting the environment. We will need more of this type of imagery for
FY22.
9 Evaluate
Effectiveness of
Public Education
and Outreach
Program
(PE-9)
During FY21, an evaluation was completed of the Public Education and
Outreach Program revealing that the program components and BMPs specified
in the Storm Water Plan are performing effectiv ely and efficiently at achieving
program goals and that they meet or exceed permit requirements. Provided
below is a report of the status of the program’s attainment of the specific
measures of success contained in the Storm Water Plan.
Documentation of Storm Water Program Activities – Public education SOPs
have been reviewed and updated annually. All the measurable goals assigned to
the BMPs have been satisfactorily fulfilled and properly documented in
CMSWS’s Cityworks and/or the Volunteer Database.
Increasing Awareness – Storm Water Public Opinion Surveys are conducted
annually to measure the effectiveness of the Public Education and Outreach
Program at improving awareness of water quality issues as well as to assess the
citizen’s level of concern/interest. The FY21 survey was completed in March,
April and May 2021. The measure of success for the Public Education and
Outreach Program is a minimum of 50% of survey respondents indicat ing they
are aware that water flowing into storm drains goes directly to creeks and lakes.
For FY21, 75.7% of survey respondents indicated awareness, which is a slight
decrease of 4.7% from FY2020 which was 80% (see Figure 1). This decrease
does not test to be significant at a 95% confidence level, however in FY2019
the results were 83% had awareness, so this indicates a slight decline over the
last 2 years in this metric. Mecklenburg County is one of fastest growing
counties in the country which may be one reason why we haven’t improved on
this metric with so many new people moving here constantly.
Increasing Extent of Exposure – The indicator of success is an increase in the
extent of exposure from the previous fiscal year. In FY21, CMSWS had a total
estimated extent of exposure (also referred to as impressions) of 5,751,958
compared to 6,828,720 in FY20. An impression is when a person sees or hears
an ad. This represents an 18.7% decrease from FY20. This includes all forms of
media, including social media, broadcast TV, radio, pay per click &digital
display, Charlotte Agenda & Charlotte Five media outlets. The total impressions
above includes only the Volunteer and Water Quality campaigns. When you add
in the Flood and Infrastructure campaigns, the total impression for FY21 is
10,733,107. The decrease in impressions is likely due to the decrease in social
X

12

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
media activity related to Volunteer programs, which were significantly
impacted by COVID-19. Other metrics used to measure program success are the
number of events attended and public presentations given. In FY21, 38
presentations (Table 2) were given which is about the same as FY20, which had
36. Most of these presentations were virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
No events were attended in person in FY21, while 10 were attended in FY20.
Three events were attended virtually (Table 3). Again, this was due to the
pandemic. FY21 was challenging for public education programs due to the
pandemic and the lack of in-person events and educational opportunities. The
staff adapted by conducting virtual presentations and met all student education
goals by conducting virtual training to classes through platforms such as Zoom
and Skype. The program continued to further develop educational handouts and
brochures and has numerous flyers for various issues in multiple languages. A
Poop the Scoop Campaign was conducted in October and focused on flagging
and signage in North Mecklenburg Park in Huntersville. The program focused
on Well Drillers and Pressure Washers for the commercial education program
and sent educational flyers out to 112 well drilling companies and 628 pressure
washers. Utility bill inserts were sent to over 200,000 Charlotte Water
customers in July, October, January, and April related to water quality and
pollution prevention. Educational mailings were sent to over 4,000 churches,
multi-family complex properties and large parking lot owners to educate them
regarding coal tar sealant regulations and environmental impacts. The
evaluation of the FY21 public education program has determined that outreach
efforts on the targeted pollutants, sources, audiences, and issues described in the
Storm Water Management Plan has enabled program goals to be achieved
effectively and efficiently. In addition, the fourth year of the Scoop the Poop
Campaign, first conducted in FY2018, was again highly effective at educating
and involving citizens in activities to protect and restore water quality and will
be continued in FY22. Stormy the Mascot also continues to be a great asset to
Public Education and is very effective at promot ing our messaging. In FY22,
the media campaign will continue to focus on the digital platforms to reach
specific demographics within the targeted audience more effectively. Digital
Marketing has proven to be effective at reaching targeted audiences by using
data fusion and PPC campaigns on popular platforms such as Charlotte Agenda
and Charlotte Five. The program will also continue to provide targeted
education in situations where specific messages are needed. A large variety of
education handouts are available for different educational needs. As part of the
overall program evaluation, recommendations for improvement have been made
as described in Section 3.3 below. These recommendations will be implemented
in FY2022 through the execution of the annual Work Plan.

Table 2: Presentations Conducted in FY2021
Date Group Name/Audience # of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
2/23/2021 Local Elected Officials 150 WQ Protection and regulatory requirements
3/9/2021 Cub Scout Pack 39 Enviroscape - Water Conservation
10/13/2020 Regional Stormwater
Partnership of the Carolinas
150 Economical Flood Sensor Deployment for
Flood Monitoring and Response
11/6/2020 Stormwater Professionals and
Engineers - DHS S&T
Research Review Board
20 Mecklenburg County Flood Risk
Assessment/Risk Reduction Tool
10/29/2020 Engineering Students -
Western New England
25 Mecklenburg County Goal Driven Capital
Improvement Program

13

Date Group Name/Audience # of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
University
7/16/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 County Storm Water Services- Mecklenburg
County Environmental Leadership Policy; FY
22 County Storm Water Budget
7/16/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) – Update
on Risk Assessment & Rick Reduction Plan
Enhancements and Long-Term Goal
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 County Storm Water Services - Endorse FY20
SWAC Annual Report and support staff request
to submit this report to the Mecklenburg Board
of County Commissioners
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 County Storm Water Services- County Storm
Water Services - Review and Approve retroFIT
Grant Budget Amendment for Structure
Demolition / Elevation at 2011 Lake
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 City Storm Water Services – City Program
Overview
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 City Storm Water Services - City Strategic
Planning Process
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 City Storm Water Services - City Program
Briefings
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
15 City Storm Water Services - City Strategic
Planning Process with the City’s consultant,
Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
15 County Storm Water Services - Receive as
information an update on the County’s FY22
Budget
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
15 City Storm Water Services - City Program
Briefings receive as information on the City’s
program and services
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
15 County Storm Water Services- Review and
approve retroFIT grant application, Structure
elevation at 1613 and 1727 Lake Drive
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
15 County Storm Water Services – Receive as
information Capital Improvement Program
update
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
13 Program for Public Information (PPI) Annual
Update
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
13 Quick Buy & retroFIT 2019
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
13 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
(CMSWS) – City Program Briefings
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
13 Mecklenburg County Environmental
Leadership Policy
11/19/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
12 City Program Briefings – City Financials and
Budget

14

Date Group Name/Audience # of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
Public, and Elected Officials
11/19/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
12 Receive as information an update on the County
Storm Water’s proposed exchange of land on
Cullman Ave; Receive as information an update
on the County’s FY22 Budget
12/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
7 Receive a briefing on the flooding that occurred
on November 12, 2020
12/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
7 Receive information on the City’s program and
services. This segment is focused on Land
Development Regulatory Services
1/7/2021 Charlotte Water staff 50 History of Catawba River
1/21/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
3 City staff will update the committee on Fiscal
Year 2022 budget development
1/21/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
3 County Storm Water Receive as information an
update on the County’s FY22 Budget
2/9/2021 BOCC Environmental
Stewardship Committee
30 LUESA Stream Miles Suitable Report
2/18/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
5 Endorse County Storm Water’s FY22 proposed
Budget
2/18/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff, General
Public, and Elected Officials
5 City Financials and Budget Update
2/18/2021 Catawba Wateree Water
Management Group-Citizen's
Water Academy
100 History of Catawba River
2/23/2021 Regional Stormwater
Partnership of Carolinas
150 Overview of Stormwater Regulations
2/25/2021 Catawba Wateree Water
Management Group-Citizen's
Water Academy
50 Overview of Stormwater Regulations
4/22/2021 National Monitoring
Conference
49 Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification
Network: A Tool for Detecting and Notifying
Agencies of Water Quality Hazards
5/11/2021 Gaston County Commission 50 Enhanced Protection of our drinking water
supply reservoirs
5/11/2021 Association of State
Floodplain Mgrs
250 Joint WQ/Flood Mitigation Goal Driven CIP
Program
6/22/2021 Historic West End
Communities
67 311 Having a Voice Workshop
Total 1,445

Table 3: Events Attended in FY2021
Date Event Name
Estimated #
of Citizens
Contacted
Materials Displayed
10/27/2020 UNCC Virtual Volunteer
Fair
virtual n/a - virtual
10/24/2020 Ties and Tails Gala virtual n/a - virtual
4/22/2021 Ballantyne Earth Day virtual n/a - virtual

15

Figure 1: Percentage of Survey Respondents Aware that Stormwater Drains to Surface Waters

3.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 4 provides the status of improvements in the Public Education and Outreach Program that
were identified in FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 4: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
1 Continue to promote Stormy
(mascot) for various education
events and use Stormy for
pollution prevention messages and
videos.
Increase
Awareness
PE-10(d)
with
existing
deadline
Deania Russo Completed. Although
COVID-19 prevented
most events, Stormy was
used in several
promotional videos and
pictures for social media
and media campaigns.
2 Investigate creating a children’s
video using Stormy to promote
storm water education.
Increase
Awareness
PE-10(g);
deadline
5-31-21
Deania Russo On hold. The video is
still in the concept
phase due to costs
restraints. More
analysis of the video
production will occur
in FY22.
3 Investigate the feasibility of
hosting and promoting a hip hop /
rap video using key stormwater
pollution prevention terms for the
purpose of promoting stormwater
education.
Increase
Awareness
PE-10(h);
deadline
5-31-21
Ken Friday Completed. An outline for
the video competition has
been developed and plans
are to roll it out in FY22.
4 Develop virtual school
presentations to use for various age
Increase
Awareness
PE-10(e)
with
Deania Russo Completed. Virtual
platforms/ educational

16

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
groups due to COVID19
challenges.
existing
deadline
programs exist for all
school ages.
5 Implement the plan for education
regarding the use and negative
impacts of coal tar sealants.
Increase
Awareness
PE-I(15)
with
existing
deadline
Deania Russo Completed. The coal tar
education plan was
implemented, including
mailings which were sent
out to 4,000 churches,
multi-family complexes,
and large parking lot
owners.
6 Partner with the Regional
Stormwater Partnership of the
Carolinas and JC Smith University
on a WRRI grant to improve public
awareness and education of storm
water / water quality issues in
underserved communities in
Charlotte.
Increase
Awareness
PE-10(i);
deadline is
ongoing
David
Caldwell
Completed. CMSWS
partnered with JC Smith
on the grant, including
several volunteer events,
focus groups and a virtual
workshop regarding 311
services and
communication.
7 Use results from the 2020 Census
to evaluate ethic and economic
groups, and languages spoken
throughout Mecklenburg County.
Based on this information, develop
a plan to reach appropriate groups
with public education and outreach
messaging and material.
Increase
Awareness
PE-10(j);
deadline
5-31-21
Deania Russo Completed. Outline is
being developed as we
await the 2020 Census
data.

3.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

Table 5 describes the improvements in the Public Education and Outreach Program identified for
implementation in FY2022 to improve program effectiveness.

Table 5: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
Public Education and Outreach
1 Continue to develop a plan to evaluate
and improve public education and public
involvement to minority populations in
Mecklenburg County.
Increase Awareness
Among Minorities
PE-10(i) 6-30-2022
(ongoing)
Taylor
Mebane
2 Develop and implement a plan to
promote the Char-Meck Alert System
for notifying citizens of swimming
advisories in Mecklenburg County.
Increase Awareness
Among Lake Users
PE-10(k) 6-30-2022 David
Caldwell and
Ashley Smith
3 Develop and implement new public
education wrap for one of our fleet
trucks.
Increase Awareness
Among General
Population
PE-10(l) 6-30-2022 Ashley Smith
4 Roll out public education video
competition to schools.
Increase Awareness
Among Students
PE-10(h) 12-31-2021 Ken Friday
5 Continue to develop a children’s
educational video for use in the schools
Increase Awareness
Among Students
PE-10(g) 12-31-2021 Ashley Smith

17

Section 4: Public Involvement and Participation Program

CMSWS has developed and implemented a Public Involvement and Participation Program for
Mecklenburg County’s Phase II jurisdictions/entities. The goal of the Public Involvement and
Participation Program is to create opportunities for the public to participate in Phase II program
development and implementation, as well as to get involved in activities aimed at protecting and
restoring water quality conditions.

4.1 Implementation Status for FY2021

Table 6 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the Public Involvement and
Participation Program and the specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and June 30,
2021 (FY2021) for implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable goals for
the BMPs specified in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 6: BMP Summary Table for the Public Involvement and Participation Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
11 Conduct
Phase II
Public
Meeting
(PI-1)
Since the Phase II Permit expires in February 2022 and a new Permit application
must be submitted in August 2021, it was decided not to provide a presentation
to SWAC in the Spring of FY21 but instead to provide an advertised public
meeting on July 15, 2021 to meet the Permit requirement for public involvement
in the development of the Permit. The public meeting was advertised in the
Charlotte Observer on June 22 and July 1, 2021. During the meeting, a
presentation was given by CMSWS staff describing the measures implemented to
control stormwater pollutant sources in the Phase II jurisdictions/entities and the
various activities performed to fulfill Phase II Permit requirements as described
in the SWMP. Staff informed SWAC that no substantial changes were planned
for the new Permit or SWMP. SWAC voted to support the Permit application
and SWMP. No member of the general public provided comments.
X
12 Implement
Adopt-A-
Stream
Program (PI-
2)
During FY21, 151 groups that included a total of 2,405 volunteers donated 6,032
hours toward the completion of 198 stream cleanups resulting in the removal of
58,524 pounds of trash and debris from 187.5 miles of streams in Mecklenburg
County’s Phase I and II jurisdictions. The breakdown of miles of streams
cleaned up in each jurisdiction is as follows: 115.75 in Charlotte, 0.00 in
Cornelius, 0.21 miles in Davidson, 9.09 miles in Huntersville, 8.78 miles in
Matthews, 48.22 miles in Mecklenburg County and 3.42 miles in Pineville. The
breakdown of stream miles cleaned between the Phase I and Phase II
jurisdictions is 115.75 miles in Phase I and 71.75 miles in Phase II. The names of
the stream segments cleaned are; Back Creek, Blankmanship Branch, Briar
Creek, Campbell Creek, Clarks Creek, Clems Branch, Coffey Creek, Dairy
Branch, Duck Creek, Edwards Branch, Flat Branch, Four Mile Creek, Gar Creek,
Irvins Creek, Irwin Creek, Kings Branch, Little Hope Creek, Little Sugar Creek,
Mallard Creek, McAlpine Creek, McDowell Creek, McKee Creek, McMullen
Creek, Ramsey Creek, Rocky Branch, Rocky River West Branch, Roosevelt
Wilson Park Pond, Six Mile Creek, Steele Creek, Stewart Creek, Sugar Creek,
Taggart Creek, Toby Creek, Torrence Creek and Walker Branch, as well as the
Catawba River. There is a total of 162.16 stream miles adopted in Phase I and
Phase II jurisdictions. These efforts were completed under the County’s Adopt-
A-Stream Program. All data and information regarding these cleanups are
available in the County’s Volunteer Database. Figure 2 below shows all Phase I
and Phase II Adopt-A-Stream cleanup locations in FY21.
X
13 Implement During FY21, 4 groups and 8 CMSWS events totaled 105 volunteers donating X

18

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
Storm Drain
Marking
Program (PI-
3)
222 hours toward marking 1,286 storm drains in Mecklenburg County’s Phase II
jurisdictions. All data and information regarding the storm drain marking
activities was input into the County’s Volunteer Database. During FY21, there
was an increase in overall storm drain marking in the Phase II areas. This was
primarily due to several events held by CMSWS in these areas. The breakdown
by jurisdiction is as follows:
• Cornelius: 1 event, 4 volunteers, 8 hours, 80 markers
• Davidson: 2 groups, 1 event, 9 volunteers, 26 hours, 251 markers
• Huntersville: 1 group, 3 events, 36 volunteers, 80 hours, 406 markers
• Matthews: 1 group, 24 volunteers, 28 hours, 113 markers
• Mint Hill: 3 event, 32 volunteers, 80 hours, 436 markers
14 Conduct
Annual
Surface
Water Clean
Up
(PE-I(4))
During FY21, the Big Spring Clean event was unable to be held due to COVID-
19 restrictions. The event was scheduled to be held on March 27, 2020; however,
it was decided in February 2021, that the event would not be held. This was due
in part to a directive by the Mecklenburg County Public Health Director, which
was initiated from January 14-February 28, to not hold group gatherings. During
this time, all CMSWS volunteer programs were suspended to slow the spread of
COVID-19.
X
15 Implement
Volunteer
Monitoring
Program (VM)
The Volunteer Monitoring (VM) program includes Streamside Snapshot (SS)
and Chemical Testing. SS involves taking a photo of a creek at locations along
greenways designated by signage that includes a QR code for sending in the
photo along with a comment about creek conditions. During FY21, 12 SSS
locations were in use in Mecklenburg County with 38 volunteers participating.
Chemical VM includes collected water quality data using test kits and supplying
the data to the County. During FY21, test kits were provided to Adopt-A-Stream
groups for use during their stream cleanups, which resulted in the collection of
significantly more data than in previous years. During FY21, 140 volunteers
participated in the Chemical VM program that included 10 different groups. Both
programs included a total of 45 volunteer hours in 53 events with 35.5 hours
devoted to Chemical VM and 9.5 to SS. 8 water quality issues were identified
through the program during FY21. VM activities took place in the towns of
Matthews, Pineville, Mint Hill, Davidson, and Huntersville as described below.
• Matthews: 17 – SS; 0 - Chemical
• Davidson: 4 – SS; 0 - Chemical
• Huntersville: 2 – SS; 9 – Chemical
• Pineville: 5 – SS; 2 – Chemical
• Mint Hill: 0 – SS; 3 – Chemical
• Mecklenburg: 6 – SS; 0 - Chemical
During FY21, the VM program was adapted as necessary due to COVID
restrictions. During FY21, online training was developed for SS and placed on
Facebook and the CMSWS website in October 2020. The program was also
promoted through a Utility Bill Insert (UBI) which was sent out to all Charlotte
Water customers in October 2020. VM data is maintained in the EDMS database.
Stream water pollution identified through SS is referred to Storm Water
Supervisors for initiation of follow up actions.
X
17 Conduct
Annual
Volunteer
Appreciation
Event
(PE-I(14))
In FY21, there was no set event for volunteer appreciation due to the growing
volunteer numbers and limited budget. Instead, volunteers were recognized in
monthly emails, social media posts, and by being given appreciation certificates,
stickers, magnets and t-shirts. Of the twelve-monthly volunteer emails sent out
during FY21, ten of them featured a “Volunteer Spotlight.” There was no
spotlight in July due to volunteer activities being suspended for COVID-19
precautions. The January newsletter featured volunteer groups of the year. These
groups all received a certificate, t-shirts, and a web story written about their
accomplishments. A total of 141 t-shirts, 553 magnets, and 500 stickers were
X

19

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
given out to groups and individuals. All volunteers were offered the appreciation
magnet and sticker, as it was included with their supplies or was displayed at the
registration table at CMSWS-hosted events. These forms of recognition allow
CMSWS to show appreciation to more groups and individuals throughout the
year, as opposed to having an event that only a fraction of the volunteers would
be able to attend.
18 Evaluate
Effectiveness
of Public
Involvement
and
Participation
Program
(PI-6)
During FY21, an evaluation was completed of the Public involvement and
Participation Program revealing that the program components and BMPs
specified in the Storm Water Plan are performing effectively and efficiently at
achieving program goals and that they meet or exceed permit requirements.
Provided below is a report of the status of the program’s attainment of the
specific measures of success contained in the Storm Water Plan.
• Documentation of Storm Water Program Activities – All the measurable goals
assigned to the BMPs have been successfully fulfilled and properly
documented in CMSWS’s Cityworks and /or the Volunteer Database. Due to
the COVID19 pandemic, there were several volunteer events that were
required to be cancelled beginning during July 2020, August 2020, January
2021 and February 2021, in order to maintain public safety and comply with
the NC governor’s executive order.
• Increasing Number of Volunteers – The indicator of success is an increase in
the number of volunteers compared to the previous fiscal year. In FY21,
countywide the number of volunteers was 3,659, which represents a 15%
increase from 3,192 in FY2020 (see Figure 3). The COVID19 pandemic had a
huge impact on public involvement programs in FY20 and FY21. One of our
largest events, the Big Spring Clean was cancelled due to the pandemic and the
NC Governor’s executive order.
X

20

Figure 2: Adopted-A-Stream Cleanup Locations in FY2021

21

Figure 3: Number of Volunteers by Fiscal Year

4.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 7 provides the status of improvements in the Public Involvement and Participation
Program that were identified in FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 7: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
1 Implement components of the
Adaptive Management
Strategy to increase
community involvement.
Increase
Volunteerism
SBP-
Involvement
with existing
deadline
David
Caldwell /
Ashley Smith
This will be the second year
of implementation of the
Community Involvement
Strategy. Several
components were delayed
due to COVID19.
2 Create and implement a
volunteer competition and
promote on social media
Increase
Volunteerism
SBP-
Involvement
(d); deadline
6-31-21
Ashley Smith The Clean Creek
Challenge was held
again during the summer
of 2021 for the second
year with 3 groups
participating.
3 Promote the virtual Streamside
Assessment Volunteer
Monitoring training module on
social channels and volunteer
newsletter
Increase
Volunteerism
PE-10(d)
with existing
deadline
Ken Friday The Streamside Assessment
program was promoted on
Social media, newsletter and
also promoted through a
Utility Bill insert.
4 Continue to create monthly
newsletters aimed at
volunteers to create motivation
Increase
Volunteerism
SBP-
Involvement
(e);
Ashley Smith Monthly volunteer
newsletters continue to be
sent out which highlight

22

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
and notify them of upcoming
events.
deadline
ongoing
upcoming events and our
spotlight volunteers.
5 Implement Adopt a Drain
Program in Matthews.
Increase
Volunteerism
SBP-
Involvement
with existing
deadline
Deania Russo Adopt a Drain Matthews has
rolled out and there are
currently 6 active groups
participating.
6 Continue to create monthly
volunteer spotlights to
promote volunteerism and
praise volunteers.
Increase
Volunteerism
PE-I(14)(a)
with existing
deadline
Ashley Smith We continue to spotlight our
special volunteers by using
social media and our
newsletters. We also
provide them with T-shirts
and other prizes.
7 Target specific neighborhoods
where storm drains have not
been marked and develop
marketing to get them
involved with the Storm Drain
Marking program.
Increase
Volunteerism
PI-3(a) with
existing
deadline
Deania Russo Neighborhoods have been
targeted with events through
the 2nd Saturday and
VolunThursday events.
Events have occurred in all
6 Phase II towns within the
last 12 months.

4.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

Table 8 below describes the improvements in the Public Involvement and Participation Program
identified for implementation in FY2022 to improve program effectiveness.

Table 8: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
1 Develop a group/generic email account
to be used for volunteers to send forms
and data to, to prevent relying on
individual email accounts during staff
absences.
Streamline
communication with
volunteers
PI-2(f), PI-
3(f)
6-30-2022 David
Caldwell
2 Investigate promoting Volunteer
Monitoring during our regular Volun -
Thursday events.
Increase volunteer
activity
PE-10(n) 6-30-2022 Taylor
Mebane
3 Investigate adding a new “no
infrastructure” key to the storm drain
marking map on the web.
Improve management of
storm drain marking
program
PI-3(g) 6-30-2022 Ashley Smith
4 Investigate hosting a plogging club for
the Adopt a Stream program.
Increase volunteer
activity
PI-2(g) 6-30-2022 Taylor
Mebane
5 Host at least 2 tree planting events. Increase volunteer
activity
PE-10(m) 6-30-2022 Ken Friday
6 Promote compost recycling centers
during municipal training.
Promote pollution
prevention BMPs
PP-1(b) 12-31-2021 Ken Friday

23

Section 5: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program

CMSWS has developed, implemented and enforced an Illicit Discharge Detection and
Elimination (IDDE) Program in Mecklenburg County’s Phase II jurisdictions/entities. The goal
of the IDDE Program is to detect and eliminate illicit discharges into the MS4, which are defined
in 40 CFR 122.26(b)(2) as discharges that are not composed entirely of storm water except
discharges pursuant to a NPDES Permit (other than the NPDES Permit for discharges from the
municipal separate storm sewer) and discharges resulting from fire-fighting activities as well as
incidental non-storm water discharges or flows that are not significant contributors of pollutants.

5.1 Implementation Status for FY2021

Table 9 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the IDDE Program, and the
specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 (FY2021) for
implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable goals for the BMPs specified
in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 9: BMP Summary Table for the IDDE Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
19 Storm Sewer
System Maps
(ID-1)
In FY21, 892 new outfalls were added to the storm sewer inventory for
Phase II jurisdictions/entities. Most of these outfalls (840) were added by
the County GIS Division who used recently collected aerial photography
to locate stormwater outlets and inlets that they added to our existing map
coverage. This is a process that GIS has agreed to perform for the Water
Quality Program when they receive their new aerials every six (6) months.
The outfalls collected through this process will be field validated when
stream walks are performed, which is completed on all streams in the
Phase II jurisdictions every five (5) years. This is the new process that the
Water Quality Program has established to update the storm sewer
inventory as new development occurs. The Storm Water Plan was updated
in FY21 to include this new process. With the additional data points added
in FY21, the total current inventory in Phase II jurisdictions/ entities is
8,707 outlets and 53,339 inlets as detailed in the table below.
Jurisdiction Inlets All Outfalls
(≥12")
Major
Outfalls
(≥36")
Industrial
Outfalls
Cornelius 6,284 894 32 0
Davidson 3,174 443 44 0
Huntersville 13,417 1,845 120 3
Matthews 6,225 820 29 3
Mint Hill 4,343 1,124 44 1
Pineville 3,685 601 14 0
Mecklenburg 10,432 2,077 65 5
CMS 5,441 840 22 0
CPCC 338 63 1 0
Total 53,339 8,707 371 12

X
20 Screening for
Non-
Stormwater
Flows (ID-2)
ESRI Arc GIS was used to track outfall inspections conducted under ID-6,
ID-9, and PP-2 (including CPCC and CMS). A written SOP was reviewed,
and training was provided to staff for the use of the new layer for
performing outfall inspections of existing featu res. Also, to add new
outfalls using the mobile ESRI Arc GIS while performing duties
associated with the ID-6, ID-9, and PP-2 (including CPCC and CMS)
X

24

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
program elements. A total of 30 outfalls were inspected in the Phase II
jurisdictions under this program elem ent. No significant pollution sources
were identified under this program element. No illicit discharges were
detected through these inspections.
21 Maintain an
IDDE Program
(ID-3)
Notice of Violation (NOV) protocols, procedures and templates were
reviewed and updated as needed. The Phase II surface water pollution
control ordinances were reviewed and updated as necessary along with
notice of violation shells and penalty/enforcement guidance. During
FY21, a total of 24 written NOVs were issued in the Phase II jurisdictions
as follows: Cornelius – 0; Davidson – 3; Huntersville –6; Matthews – 3;
Mecklenburg County – 6; Mint Hill – 3; and Pineville – 3. The number of
NOVs issued for the materials released were as follows: antifreeze – 1;
Concrete – 1; cooking oil/grease – 1; other - 2; paint – 3; petroleum fuels -
1; sewage – 11; wash water – 1; wastewater – 3. All violations were
corrected and remediated as necessary. One (1) NOV with a civil penalty
was issued for the illicit discharge of wastewater in Mecklenburg county.
Additional NOV information for FY21 is summarized below:
• 20 of 24 NOVs were closed, 4 NOVs are currently in progress
• Total civil penalty amount issued: $2,530.00
• The predominant pollutant consisted of sanitary sewage overflows
(SSO) from private sewage systems resulting 11 NOVs issued in FY21.
The primary violation type detected and corrected in FY21 were incidents
involving illicit discharges.
X
22 Water Quality
Monitoring
Program (ID-
4)
During FY21, CMSWS performed the following routine monitoring in the
Phase II jurisdictions: monthly discrete grab sampling at 10 fixed stream
monitoring sites (referred to as fixed interval monitoring) for a total of 120
events and 1812 individual parameter results; annual benthic
macroinvertebrate community sampling at 8 fixed stream sites; and annual
fish community sampling at 3 fixed stream sites. Monitoring site locations
are provided in Figure 4. More information regarding these monitoring
activities is provided below. Additional grab samples are completed on an
as needed basis. The program administers a quality assurance program
plan (QAPP) approved by NCDEQ in 2009, which contains several
Standard Operating Procedures and Standard Administrative Procedures.
The program renewed its NCDEQ water quality field parameter
certification (#5235) in September 2020 and its biological laboratory
certification in October 2020.
X
22 Develop and
Implement
Fixed Interval
Stream
Monitoring
Program
(ID-4.1)
During FY21, fixed interval monitoring was conducted on a monthly basis
at 10 sites throughout the Phase II jurisdiction (see Figure 4 for site
locations; MC2A1, MC3E are not FIM sites). At each site, samples were
collected and analyzed for 16 water quality parameters as follows:
ammonia-nitrogen, fecal coliform bacteria, total kjeldahl nitrogen,
nitrate/nitrite, total suspended solids, total phosphorus, e. coli, turbidity,
suspended sediment, magnesium, calcium, hardness, and copper
(dissolved). Lead (dissolved), chromium (total), and zinc (dissolved) were
collected in the first month of each quarter. During FY21, there were 82
baseflow watch level exceedances and 23 action level exceedances.
Action level exceedances were comprised mainly of fecal coliform (35%)
and total phosphorus (57%). There were also action level exceedances for
copper at MY10 (2), MC36 (2) and MC40C (1). Ongoing greenway and
roadway construction continue to occur upstream of site MC40C resulting
in increased instream sedimentation and the associated pollutants.
Exceedances of copper and total phosphorus at MY10 have been
X

25

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
attributed to a permit discharge at Metrolina Greenhouses which is located
upstream of this monitoring site. Staff are working with NCDEQ to reduce
pollutant loading from this facility. Exceedances of total phosphorus at
MY14 are associated with a package wastewater treatment facility located
upstream. Table 10 below identifies the Baseflow Action and Watch level
exceedances identified through Fixed Interv al Monitoring performed in
the Phase II jurisdictions during FY202 1.
22 Develop and
Implement
Benthic/Habitat
Monitoring
Program
(ID-4.3)
Benthic macroinvertebrate bioassessments were conducted at 11 sites in 8
streams within the Phase II jurisdictions, including McDowell Creek
(MC2, MC2A1, MC4; Huntersville), Torrence Creek (MC3E;
Huntersville), Clarke’s Creek (MY10; Huntersville), Gar Creek (MC50;
Huntersville), West Branch Rocky River (MY1B; Davidson), Duck Creek
(MY14; Mint Hill), Clear Creek (MY8; Mint Hill), and Goose Creek
(MY9, MY9R; Mint Hill), from July to August 2020. The Mecklenburg
County Water Quality Program Stream Bioassessment Standard Operating
Procedures that were used are based on benthic macroinvertebrate
sampling methods developed by the NCDEQ Biological Assessment
Branch. Taxa richness for the pollution intolerant groups, Ephemeropte ra,
Plecoptera and Trichoptera, and the North Carolina Biotic Index were
calculated and used to assign a State biological classification to each site
as indicated in the table below. Six of the 11 sites were given a Stream
Bioclassification of FAIR. Five Streams, including Clear (MY8) and Gar
(MC50) Creeks, were rated GOOD-FAIR. McDowell Creek (MC4) and
West Branch Rocky River improved from Fair to Good-Fair while Goose
Creek (MY9) declines from Good-Fair to Fair.
Stream Site Date EPT
Taxa
Total
Taxa
NCIB
I
Bioclass
McDowell Cr MC2 8/20/20 11 44 6.85 Fair
McDowell Cr MC2A1 8/12/20 14 48 6.45 Good-Fair
McDowell Cr MC4 7/10/20 13 42 6.01 Fair
Torrence Cr MC3E 8/20/20 8 45 6.85 Fair
Gar Cr MC50 7/10/20 17 53 5.20 Good-Fair
Clarkes Cr MY10 8/26/20 7 34 6.74 Fair
West Branch
Rocky R
MY1B 8/18/20 12 40 6.09 Good-Fair
Duck Cr MY14 8/06/20 6 29 6.37 Fair
Clear Cr MY8 7/22/20 19 58 5.84 Good-Fair
Goose Cr MY9 7/21/20 12 51 6.23 Fair
Goose Cr MY9 8/06/21 13 50 6.36 Fair
Stream habitat assessments were also conducted at each of the 11 sites
using the Enhanced version of the Mecklenburg Habitat Assessment
Protocol (EMHAP). Scores ranged from 77.2 (Impaired) to 149.2.
McDowell Creek above Gilead Road received an EMHAP score of 149.2
which reflects the improvements to the stream channel stability and in-
stream habitat quality due to the recent stream restoration work. There
appears to be a water quality issue in Duck Creek as the in-stream habitat
was highly rated (144.2) but the rating for the benthic community was
low, indicating that habitat was not a limiting factor. There is an ongoing
problem with the Ashe Plantation Wastewater Treatment Plant upstream
of the monitoring location that negatively impacted the water quality in
Duck Creek. Data indicated that the rural and suburban streams are
recovering from the droughts that Mecklenburg County experienced in
2002, 2007 and 2008.
X
22 Develop and Mecklenburg County follows the NCDEQ Fish Community Assessment X

26

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
Implement Fish
Monitoring
Program
(ID-4.4)
methods which includes electrofishing wadable streams for a 200m
stretch; collecting, identifying, measuring, and counting all fish collected.
This data is then entered into a database that calculates the North Carolina
Index of Biotic Integrity (NCIBI) score for each record. These methods
are utilized so data from Mecklenburg County can consistently be
compared to other locations throughout North Carolina. During FY21, fish
community assessments were conducted at 5 sites in Mecklenburg
County’s Phase II jurisdiction, including 2 sites in the Town of
Huntersville (MC2A1, MC5), 1 site in the unincorporated County/Mint
Hill ETJ (MY8), 1 site in County within the Town of Stallings (MY9),
and 1 site in the Town of Davidson (MY1B). The results from these
assessments are provided in the table below.
Date Site Creek NCIBI NCIBI Rating Adsfa;ldskjf NCIBI Rating
6-11-21 MC2A1 McDowell Creek 32 Poor Poor
5-27-21 MC5 Trib to McDowell Creek 34 Poor Good-Fair
5-26-21
6-10-21
5-24-21
MY8
MY9
MY1B
Clear Creek
Goose Creek
W. Branch Rocky River
54 Excellent
52 Good
30 Poor
Fair
Of the five Phase II sites that were sampled this year, Clear Creek at
Ferguson Road (MY8) scored the highest with an Excellent Rating (54).
Historically, Goose Creek (MY9) has shown very high scores for NCIBI,
with only one sampling effort being below Good or Excellent (2013, 46,
Good-Fair). MY9 also historically displays a result of at least Good-Fair
or Good, with this year’s sampling effort returning a Good Rating (52).
These consistent results suggests that this portion of Goose Creek supports
a healthy fish community. The three remaining sites (MC2A1, MC5,
MY1B) all returned an NCIBI rating of Poor. Sites MC2A1 (McDowell
Creek at Gilead Road) and MC5 (Trib. to McDowell Creek at Bud
Henderson Road) are located within the Town of Huntersville, North
Carolina. Both sites have historically shown lower NCIBI scores
compared to other Phase II sampling locations. The ratings of Poor are
regularly returned during fish community surveys at each of these sites.
These results would suggest that neither of these 2 Huntersville stream
locations support a healthy fish community. Site MY1B (W. Branch
Rocky River at Shearer Road) also returned a value of Poor. From past
sampling efforts, this site has consistently displayed lower values of
NCIBI Ratings, especially the past 3 sampling efforts which were all
recorded as Poor. This site location was subsequently moved to Shearer
Road from its previous location at River Ford Road due to the lack of
water depth to support automated monitoring efforts that should always
coincide with biological monitoring data. As such, CMSWS staff will
continue to conduct all future fish community surveys at this new location
(Shearer Road).
22 Water Quality
Monitoring
Data QA/QC
(ID-4.6)
The data from the various physical, chemical, and biological monitoring
activities performed by CMSWS is maintained in a controlled Microsoft
Access data repository, with user restrictions. To ensure the highest
quality of laboratory data, replicate samples for each fixed interval
monitoring site are collected each year. Field blanks, bottle blanks, DI
water blanks, and trip blanks are combined into Event Blanks for each
sampling run. 652 blanks were collected during FY2021 with no
exceedances of the minimum detection limit. 1812 laboratory sample
records were reviewed and approved or rejected as appropriate. Additional
review of field data and biological data occurred on an as-needed basis
throughout the year.
X

27

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
22 Problem Area
Identification
and Elimination
(ID-4.7)
The overall SUSI index for FY2021 showed that the streams are partially
supporting their designated uses based on the water quality parameters
examined. Review of SUSI data suggests ongoing water quality issues at
MY10 (Clarke Creek) including elevated nutrient levels in the watershed.
Efforts have been undertaken in this watershed in the past to identify and
mitigate sources of nutrients and dissolved metals reaching the stream. As
part of these efforts a detailed analysis of trends in nutrients loading,
particularly total phosphorus loads in the watershed, has been initiated to
understand changes in nutrient loads over time. Results from this analysis
should be available in FY2022.
X
22 CMANN
(ID-4.10)
In FY21, CMSWS conducted continuous automated monitoring activities
at 7 sites in the Phase II jurisdictions resulting in the collection of 254,173
QA/QC accepted data points (~83.9% data acceptance rate). All data
collected was evaluated for the identification of potential pollution
problems and general water quality trends. Current data can be observed
on the following website: http://cmann.mecknc.gov. CMANN data is used
to help calculate the Stream Use Support Index (SUSI), which is a general
indicator of water quality conditions in our streams. This index was made
available to the public on the website as follows:
http://stormwater.charmeck.org (select “Water Quality” at the top of the
page). The Phase II sites include MC4 – McDowell Creek (Huntersville),
MC40D – Four Mile Creek (Matthews), MC50 – Gar Creek
(Huntersville), MY1B – West Branch Rocky River (Davidson), MY8 –
Clear Creek (Mint Hill), MY9 – Goose Creek (Mint Hill), MY10 – Clarke
Creek (Huntersville). In fiscal year 2021, CMSWS CMANN equipment
did not observe or detect any pollution problems in the Phase 2
jurisdictions. Beginning in 2016, CMSWS began integrating new
hardware into all monitoring sites throughout Mecklenburg County. As of
July 24, 2021, all 7 of the Phase 2 sites had been converted to the new
EXO technology. In FY22, CMANN staff will remain diligent in
maintaining the equipment to ensure that we retain the highest quality data
possible.
X
22 Quality
Assurance
Project Plan
Administration
(QAPP)
CMSWS administers a quality assurance project plan (QAPP) for the
purpose of standardizing monitoring activities and protocols in accordance
with approved methods. This QAPP was approved by NCDEQ in 2009.
During FY21, all standard operating procedures were reviewed and
revised as needed. An internal field audit was conducted in FY21 for fixed
interval monitoring activities in accordance with the administration of the
QAPP. The audit was conducted to ensure that field sampling activities
were in conformance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) for
collection of grab surface water samples and physico-chemical
parameters. Audit findings were reviewed and corrective actions,
including staff training, were implemented to ensure that field staff were
following approved procedures and protocols in-line with the QAPP.
X
23 Pollution
Prevention
Education
(ID-5)
Messages were incorporated into the general water quality media
campaign during FY21 to inform citizens of illicit discharges and
improper waste disposal and how they threaten the environment.
Information on environmental volunteer programs was also forwarded to
town contacts. The FY21 media campaign included social media posts
regarding identifying and reporting illicit discharges. All towns were
requested to re-post CMSWS social media posts. Utility bill inserts (UBIs)
were used for getting this message out, as well as county vehicle wraps
and radio and TV messages. CMSWS is also a member of the Regional
X

28

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
Storm Water Partnership of the Carolinas which participates in a TV
media campaign to promote reporting pollution and illicit discharges.
Educational materials were updated as necessary and made available to
staff to handout on a variety of topics, including pollution prevention
(residential pollution sources and business/commercial sources) and
volunteering. These materials are maintained in the wqxfer shared
directory in a folder called Educational Handouts, which can be easily
accessed and printed by staff when needed. Some brochures are printed
and kept in the Pollution Prevention office area in a file drawer for staff
use. In March 2021 brochures for pollution prevention, reporting, and
volunteer opportunities were delivered to all town halls (except Davidson
and Mt. Hill who are closed due to COVID19) and all town libraries
(except Pineville which doesn’t have library). In March 2021 a survey
was sent to all 6 towns requesting input regarding how to best provide
pollution prevention education in their towns. The survey included 7
questions which will assist in providing targeted education in each town.
Due to COVID-19, group presentations were limited in FY21 to a total of
38 that were mostly conducted virtually. These presentations included
various topics such as pollution prevention, best management practices,
stormwater regulations and volunteer efforts. On June 24, 2021,
educational fliers regarding pollution prevention were sent to 112 well
drillers and 647 pressure washing businesses and gas stations. During
FY21, CMSWS continued the efforts begun in FY20 to provide pollution
prevention training to co-permittee staff who have the potential to observe
pollution problems while performing their assigned duties. The video
entitled “Water Pollution – What to Do” was used to provide this training.
The table below identifies the number of employees by co-permittee and
County department who have completed the training as of February 2022.
Co-Permittee Completed
FY20
Completed
FY21
Totals
Davidson 23 23
Cornelius 5 5
Huntersville 64 64
Matthews 7 7
Pineville 39 39
Mt. Hill 1 1
CMS
CPCC
Assessor Office 62 62
Social Services 4 4
Env. Health 28 28
LUESA AQ 22 22
LUESA GIS 4 4
LUESA Code
LUESA Solid Waste

Parks and Rec. 132 132
Sherriff 2 2
Totals 254 139 393
During FY21, CMSWS reviewed and updated the keywords used by the
311 Call Center to ensure water quality related calls for pollution
prevention, pollution reporting, and volunteer opportunities are being sent
to the correct department.

29

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
24 Follow up
Inspections
and
Responding to
Citizen
Requests and
Emergencies
(ID-6)
In FY21, 120 service requests were responded to in the Phase II
jurisdiction with a total of 183 service request follow-up inspections
conducted. Table 11 provides a breakdown of responses by Phase II
jurisdiction. Information regarding these service requests is provided in
the table below.
Municipality # of SR Problems
Encountered
Problems
Resolved
NOVs
Issued
NOVs
Resolved
Cornelius 22 14 5 3 0
Davidson 7 4 1 6 3
Huntersville 30 16 6 3 6
Matthews 25 16 7 6 3
Mecklenburg 16 11 7 3 6
Mint Hill 15 8 2 3 3
Pineville 5 5 4 1 3
Total 120 74 32 25 24
The number of service requests separated by incident and material types is
summarized in the table below.
Type # of Incidents
Incident Type
Accidental spill 25
Algae bloom 2
Aquatic organism/fish kill 1
Discharge/dump 42
Erosion/sediment control 3
Natural Condition 8
No incident identified 23
Other 7
Unknown 9
Material Type
Allowable discharge 4
Antifreeze 0
Chemical- specify: 1
Concrete 2
Cooking oil/grease 3
Motor oil 3
None 31
Other - specify: 11
Paint 5
Pet waste 0
Petroleum fuels 11
Sediment 5
Sewage - CMU 3
Sewage - private
(commercial/apartment) 4
Sewage - private
(residential) 6
Sewage - septic system 2
Trash 2
X

30

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
Unknown 14
Wash water 6
Wastewater - specify: 2
Yard waste 5
During the FY21, a total of 25 emergency incidents were initiated,
responded to, and resolved within the Phase II jurisdiction. The primary
incident types involving emergency responses were associated with
accidental discharges of petroleum fuels (8 of 25). SSOs from private
systems (6 of 25) were observed to be the secondary cause of accidental
discharges within the Phase II jurisdictions.
25 Stream
Walk/Outfall
Inventory &
Inspection/ Dry
Weather Flow
Analysis
(ID-8)
During FY21, Policies and procedures for the stream walk program were
reviewed and were concluded to be in good standing. Staff training was
performed on 10/21/2020. Stream walk activities began on 11/1/2020 and
concluded on April 20, 2021. Staff walked approximately 74.84 stream
miles in the Phase II area during FY21. In all, there were 69 points or
features identified, 77 outfalls inspected, 52 new outfalls identified, and no
DWF samples collected. There were 10 DWFs found, but the flows were
too low to collect a sample. Six (6) significant problems and two (2)
stream blockages were identified and reported to Mecklenburg-County
Storm Water Services. Staff also identified two (2) potential stream buffer
violations, one (1) instance of severe bank erosion, and one (1) new
wetland area. A new feature class was added this year to track beaver dam
locations. Five (5) dams were recorded, and the data was reported to
Charlotte- Mecklenburg Storm Water Operations to track. No illicit
discharge pollution sources were observed during 2021 Phase II stream
walk activities. All data generated under this program was QA/QCed for
accuracy prior to downloading into the database. Overall, stream walk
data was consistent with the data collected in FY2020. Figure 5 identifies
the basins and stream reaches that were walked and outfalls collected &
re-inspected in FY21.
X
26 Illicit Discharge
Elimination
Program (IDEP)
(ID-9)
The purpose of the Illicit Discharge Elimination Program (IDEP) program,
formerly known as ISIS, is to support and enhance Illicit Discharge
Detection and Elimination (IDDE) efforts in Mecklenburg County. The
identification of pollution sources is accomplished by qualitative and
quantitative measurements. Such measures include field investigations,
monitoring storm water outfalls, business corridor inspections, multi-
family private sewer system inspections, and inspection of all outfalls that
drain directly to Mecklenburg County’s three reservoirs. The table below
summarizes the IDEP activities completed in the Phase II jurisdictions
during FY21.
Municipality # of IDEP
Inspections
Problems
Detected
Problems
Corrected
NOVs
Issued
NOVs
Resolved
Cornelius 1 0 0 0 0
Davidson 1 0 0 0 0
Huntersville 1 0 0 0 0
Mint Hill 1 0 0 0 0
Pineville 2 2 2 1 1
Total 6 2 2 1 1
A summary of the type of pollutants and sources detected is summarized
in the table below.
X

31

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
Incident Type # of IDEP
Inspections Material Type # of IDEP
Inspections
Discharge/dump 2 Cooking
oil/grease 2
No incident
identified 4 None 4
Total 6 Total 6
In FY21, CMSWS staff inspected six (6) industrial facilities as part of
IDEP. All facilities were observed to be in compliance with the
Mecklenburg County Surface Water Pollution Control Ordinance.
27 Used Oil
Inspections
(ID-U)
The purpose of the used oil facility inspections is to ensure the proper
handling and disposal of used oil and to identify and elimination pollution
sources threatening downstream water quality conditions. In FY21, the
scope of this program was broadened to include facilities that conduct
marine repair and maintenance, but do not accept used oil from the public.
In FY21, two (2) inspections were conducted at vehicle maintenance
facilities within the Phase II jurisdictions, including:
• Safe Harbor Kings Point Marina - 18020 Kings Point Drive, Cornelius,
inspected on May 27, 2021. Inspection Result: Report was issued as
“Satisfactory” with recommendations regarding, product removal
information, outdoor material and vehicle storage areas, oil/water
separator or pretreatment, spill kits, and new and used fluid storage
conditions.
• Holiday Marina, 20139 Henderson Road, Cornelius, inspected on May
12, 2021. Inspection Result: Report was issued as “Satisfactory” with
recommendations regarding outdoor material and vehicle storage areas,
waste storage/disposal area, and new and used fluid storage condition.
An online interactive map is posted on CMSWS’s website to assist
citizens in locating a facility that accepts used oil and other automotive
wastes. The link is as follows:
http://maps.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/website/recyclecenters/
X
28 Evaluate
Effectiveness of
IDDE Program
(ID-10)
In FY21 all SOPs were updated in preparation for our NCDEQ permit
audit in April 2021. This included updates to the IDDE and Emergency
Response manuals. New capabilities for documenting outfall inspections
were created in FY21 utilizing the Cityworks software. Historically,
outfall collections for service request, IDEP, stream walks, and facility
inspections were completed using GIS software. This software had
limitations for repeated inspections of the same assets in the same fiscal
year. By using Cityworks we can create as many inspections on the same
assets as needed without losing any historical data. A review of the IDDE
program identified several areas of improvement that were implemented in
FY21. The table in Section 5.2 below lists those improvements and their
implementation status. The table in Section 5.3 below lists the
recommended improvements for FY22 that will help improve the IDDE
program. There are two (2) measures of success for the IDDE Program
contained in the Storm Water Plan as described below.
• The documentation of the completion of activities that demonstrate the
successful implementation of the BMPs associated with the program
which is contained in the Cityworks data management system. In
FY21, all documentation was successfully completed and entered into
the Cityworks software and the Cityworks Attachment Folders on the
Mecklenburg County LAN.
X

32

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
• The percentage of the number of violations compared to the number of
inspections conducted. In general, the IDDE Program is successful at
identifying and eliminating pollution sources. The desired trend is an
increase in this ratio, which would indicate more violations being
detected because of inspections which would indicate success for IDDE
efforts to identify pollution problems. In FY21, 70 problems were
detected, and 70 problems were corrected. The ratio of inspections to
NOVs issued was 8.4% based on 287 inspections and 24 NOVs issued
(see Figure 6). This data reveals that the ratio of the number of
violations to the number of inspections has remained somewhat
consistent over the past 6 fiscal years.
• Percentage of written Notices of Violation issued to repeat violators
which was new in FY21. The desired trend is not to exceed the average
for the past 3 years. For FY21, the percentage was 12.61% which is
lower than the average for the past 3 years at 17.66% indicating success
at reducing repeat violators.

Table 10: Action/Watch Level Exceedances Identified by Fixed Interval Monitoring
Storm Site Collected Analyte Result Unit Flag
No MY9 2/11/2021 Fecal Coliform 1170 CFU/100 ml Action
No MY9 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 285 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY9 7/16/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.058 mg/L Watch
No MY9 7/16/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.059 mg/L Watch
No MY9 5/24/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.064 mg/L Watch
No MY9 11/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 250 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY9 6/17/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.084 mg/L Watch
No MY9 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 500 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY9 12/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 220 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY9 4/22/2021 Fecal Coliform 330 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY9 5/24/2021 Fecal Coliform 640 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 12/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 585 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 460 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 4/22/2021 Fecal Coliform 270 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 5/24/2021 Fecal Coliform 335 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 375 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 11/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 320 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY8 2/11/2021 Fecal Coliform 660 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 1/14/2021 Fecal Coliform 247 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 10/15/2020 Fecal Coliform 360 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 400 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 407 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 9/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 580 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 5/24/2021 Fecal Coliform 550 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 11/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 230 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY1B 2/11/2021 Fecal Coliform 455 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY14 11/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.212 mg/L Action
No MY14 5/24/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.88 mg/L Action
No MY14 2/11/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.112 mg/L Action
No MY14 4/22/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.655 mg/L Action

33

Storm Site Collected Analyte Result Unit Flag
No MY14 6/17/2021 Total Phosphorus 1.4 mg/L Action
No MY14 12/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 340 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY14 12/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.092 mg/L Watch
No MY14 6/17/2021 Specific Conductivity 324 uS/cm Watch
No MY14 5/24/2021 Specific Conductivity 273 uS/cm Watch
No MY14 11/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 480 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY10 7/16/2020 Turbidity 110 NTU Action
No MY10 9/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.23 mg/L Action
No MY10 6/17/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.13 mg/L Action
No MY10 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 19000 CFU/100 ml Action
No MY10 5/24/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.19 mg/L Action
No MY10 7/16/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.38 mg/L Action
No MY10 4/22/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.138 mg/L Action
No MY10 2/11/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.145 mg/L Action
No MY10 2/11/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.144 mg/L Action
No MY10 9/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 540 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY10 2/11/2021 Fecal Coliform 380 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY10 10/15/2020 Fecal Coliform 585 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY10 4/22/2021 Fecal Coliform 240 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MY10 9/10/2020 Turbidity 30 NTU Watch
No MY10 6/17/2021 Turbidity 26 NTU Watch
No MY10 5/24/2021 Copper 4.6 ug/L Watch
No MY10 11/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.059 mg/L Watch
No MY10 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 339 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 9/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 1040 CFU/100 ml Action
No MC50 9/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 1870 CFU/100 ml Action
No MC50 1/14/2021 Fecal Coliform 262 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 11/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 210 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 2/11/2021 Fecal Coliform 310 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 375 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 10/15/2020 Fecal Coliform 230 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 9/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.098 mg/L Watch
No MC50 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 620 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 6/17/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.085 mg/L Watch
No MC50 5/24/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.068 mg/L Watch
No MC50 9/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.095 mg/L Watch
No MC50 5/24/2021 Fecal Coliform 240 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 11/10/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.058 mg/L Watch
No MC50 4/22/2021 Fecal Coliform 400 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC50 7/16/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.074 mg/L Watch
No MC40C 9/8/2020 Fecal Coliform 2000 CFU/100 ml Action
No MC40C 5/20/2021 Fecal Coliform 1040 CFU/100 ml Action
No MC40C 9/8/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.056 mg/L Watch
No MC40C 11/23/2020 Fecal Coliform 830 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC40C 4/20/2021 Fecal Coliform 605 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC40C 2/9/2021 Fecal Coliform 285 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC40C 9/8/2020 Specific Conductivity 258 uS/cm Watch
No MC40C 7/14/2020 Fecal Coliform 880 CFU/100 ml Watch

34

Storm Site Collected Analyte Result Unit Flag
No MC40C 11/23/2020 Fecal Coliform 620 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC4 5/24/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.14 mg/L Action
No MC4 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 313 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC4 9/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 324 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC4 10/15/2020 Fecal Coliform 230 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC4 5/24/2021 Fecal Coliform 240 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC4 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 440 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC36 7/14/2020 Dissolved Oxygen 3.3 mg/L Action
No MC36 7/14/2020 Fecal Coliform 6000 CFU/100 ml Action
No MC36 9/8/2020 Fecal Coliform 350 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC36 5/20/2021 Fecal Coliform 220 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC36 7/14/2020 Copper 4 ug/L Watch
No MC36 9/8/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.055 mg/L Watch
No MC36 9/8/2020 Dissolved Oxygen 4.6 mg/L Watch
No MC36 11/23/2020 Fecal Coliform 430 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC36 9/8/2020 Fecal Coliform 375 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC36 5/20/2021 Dissolved Oxygen 4.6 mg/L Watch
No MC36 7/14/2020 Total Phosphorus 0.053 mg/L Watch
No MC36 4/20/2021 Fecal Coliform 500 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC36 5/20/2021 Total Phosphorus 0.06 mg/L Watch
No MC2 6/17/2021 Fecal Coliform 1080 CFU/100 ml Action
No MC2 10/15/2020 Fecal Coliform 700 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC2 11/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 250 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC2 1/14/2021 Fecal Coliform 247 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC2 9/10/2020 Fecal Coliform 760 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC2 7/16/2020 Fecal Coliform 500 CFU/100 ml Watch
No MC2 5/24/2021 Fecal Coliform 500 CFU/100 ml Watch

Table 11: Number and Type of Service Requests and Emergency Responses by Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Number of Service Requests by Category Algae Bloom Accidental Spill Buffer Dumping Emergency Response Erosion Fish Kill Illicit Connection Monitoring Follow Up Natural Condition No Incident Identified Other Unknown Total Cornelius 1 3 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 2 22
Davidson 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 7
Huntersville 0 1 0 12 2 1 0 0 0 2 7 3 2 30
Matthews 0 3 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 7 1 2 25
Mint Hill 1 1 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 15
Pineville 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
Mecklenburg 0 1 0 5 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 16
Totals 2 17 0 38 16 3 1 0 0 8 25 7 2 120

35

Figure 4: Mecklenburg County Phase II Stream Monitoring Sites

36

Figure 5: Stream Walk/Outfall Inspection-Inventory

37

Figure 6: Percentage of NOVs Issued to IDDE Inspections Conducted

5.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 12 provides the status of improvements in the IDDE Program that were identified in
FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 12: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
1 Identify and implement new
technologies or applications to
improve outfall re-inspections.
Permit
Compliance
ID-2(d);
deadline
1/29/21
Silvio Conte
(lead), &
Ryan Spidel
Completed. New
capabilities were added to
Cityworks for staff to be
able to complete field and
desktop outfall inspections.
This functionality provides
the capability of inventory
to be inspected more than
once a year without losing
the previous record.
2 Update the IDDE manual. Permit
Compliance
ID-10(e);
deadline
1-29-21
Andrew
DeCristofaro
Completed. The IDDE
manual revisions were
completed prior to the
NCDEQ Phase II audit
in 2021.
3 Identify areas of missing Permit ID-1(d); Ryan Spidel Completed. CMSWS staff

38

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
stormwater inventory in the Phase
II jurisdictions and implement a
collection initiative.
Compliance deadline
1-29-21
worked with Mecklenburg
County GIS staff to
identify missing
stormwater inventory using
aerial photography. 840
new outfalls were collected
and added to our inventory.
4 Expand the used oil inspection
(ID-U) program to include
inspections at marinas.
Increase
Pollution
Problems
Identified
ID-U(a);
deadline
5-31-21
Matt Santiago Completed. In FY21, 2
marinas were inspected as
part of the Used Oil
Facility Inspection
program. Both facilities are
in Cornelius and are
located directly on lake
front property. Both
facilities received
“Satisfactory” reports.

5.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

Table 13 below includes the improvements in the IDDE Program identified for implementation
in FY2022 to improve program effectiveness.

Table 13: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
1 Install cameras at 2, Phase 2 CMANN
sites.
Help confirm possible
pollution issues detected
by the CMANN
equipment.
ID-4.10(c) 6-30-2022 Iva Barnes
2 Begin enforcement of PAH limitations. Reduce the use of
parking lot sealants
containing > 0.1%
PAHs, by weight.
ID-6(d) 1-2-2022 All field staff
3 Reinspect facilities that have been issued
a penalty within the last 3 fiscal years.
Ensure continued
compliance with local
ordinances.
ID-9(g) 6-30-2022 John Thao
4 Develop the capability to create outfall
inspections in Cityworks for all stream
walk outfall inspections.
Ensure we have a
historic record of all
outfall inspections.
ID-8(f) 12-31-2021 Silvio Conte
& Hannah
Meeler
5 Use water quality modeling to identify
problem areas for monitoring and follow
up.
Identify and eliminate
pollution sources.
ID-4.7-
CO(f)
6-30-2022 Robert
Sowah

39

Section 6: Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control Program

CMSWS has developed, implemented and enforced a Construction Site Storm Water Runoff
Control Program for addressing the discharge of sediment and other pollutants from construction
sites in Mecklenburg County’s Phase II jurisdictions. The goal of the Construction Site Storm
Water Runoff Control Program is to reduce pollutants in storm water runoff from construction
activities that result in a land disturbance of greater than or equal to one (1) acre. Construction
activities disturbing less than one acre are included in the program if they are part of a larger
common plan of development or sale that would disturb one acre or more.

6.1 Implementation Status for FY2022

Table 14 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the Construction Site Storm
Water Runoff Control Program and the specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and
June 30, 2021 (FY2021) for implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable
goals for the BMPs specified in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 14: BMP Summary Table for the Construction Site Storm Water Control Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
29 Enforce
Erosion
Control
Ordinances
(CS-1)
During FY21, a total of 161 new projects were approved in the Mecklenburg
County Phase II jurisdictions with a total of 2,365.9 acres disturbed, including
55 new projects permitted by the Town of Huntersville for a total of 334.1
acres disturbed. 1906 inspections were performed with 23 Notice of Violations
(NOV’s) issued. 6 penalties were assessed for a total of $25,500.00.
$20,500.00 in penalties has been collected. There are $5,000.00 in penalties
outstanding and $0 in penalties have been submitted to the state for remission.
Provided below are the totals for the Phase II jurisdictions.
• Cornelius: 118 inspections conducted; 5 NOV issued.
• Davidson: 62 inspections conducted, 1 NOV’s issued.
• Huntersville: 943 inspections conducted, 11 NOVs issued
• Matthews: 267 inspections conducted. 3 NOVs issued.
• Mint Hill: 299 inspections conducted, 1 NOVs issued.
• Pineville: 127 inspections conducted and 2 NOVs issued.
• Mecklenburg County: 90 inspections conducted and 0 NOV’s were issued.
X
30 Erosion
Control
Education
(CS-2)
234 people certified and 45 people re-certified for CMCSI during FY21.
Classes were only offered virtually due to COVID restrictions.
X
31 Evaluate
Effectiveness
of Erosion
Control
Program
(CS-3)
During FY21, an evaluation was completed of the effectiveness of the BMPs
for the Construction Site Storm Water Control Program as described in the
latest version of the Storm Water Plan. The evaluation revealed that the
Program is successful at addressing the discharges of sediment and other
pollutants from construction sites in Phase II jurisdictions. There are two (2)
measures of success for the Program contained in the Storm Water Plan as
described below with both indicating a success in FY21.
• Documentation of the completion of activities that demonstrate the
successful completion of the BMPs associated with the Program. The
evaluation revealed that all documentation was successfully completed.
• Percentage of the number of violations compared to the number of
inspections conducted. The desired trend is a reduction of this percentage,
X

40

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
which indicates fewer violations being detected as a result of inspections.
During FY21, 23 NOVs were issued, and 1,906 inspections conducted for
1.21% which is comparable to previous fiscal years as shown in Figure 7
below.

Figure 7: Percentage of NOVs Issued to Erosion Control Inspections Conducted

6.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 15 provides the status of improvements in the Construction Site Storm Water Runoff
Control Program that were identified in FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 15: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff
Implementation
Status
1 Mecklenburg County will continue
working on changing all Erosion
Control ordinances to meet the new
State model ordinance.
Improve
Compliance
CS-1 Corey Priddy This has not occurred
due to the pandemic
and staff changes.
2 Mecklenburg County will move
CMCSI to an online platform that
utilizes technology, video and
County erosion control resources.
Improve
Compliance
CS-2 Corey Priddy Completed.
3 Mecklenburg County will fully
implement State remission changes
and follow through with
Improve
Compliance
CS-1 Corey Priddy Completed.

41

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff
Implementation
Status
implementation procedure at the
local level.
4 The Town of Huntersville will
create procedural documents and
checklists for developers and
contractors to use for ordinance
compliance.
Improve
Compliance
N/A Kevin Fox,
Town of
Huntersville
Completed.
5 The Town of Huntersville will
cross-train roadway and
construction inspection staff to be
qualified to inspect and
communicate erosion control
deficiencies at construction sites.
Improve
Compliance
N/A Kevin Garton
Anne Loftin,
Town of
Huntersville
Completed.

6.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

Table 16 below includes the improvements in the Construction Site Erosion Control Program
identified for implementation in FY2022 to improve program effectiveness.

Table 16: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
1 Mecklenburg County - Evaluate the usage
of drones for site inspections.
Improve Compliance CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy
2 Mecklenburg County - Examine the
NOV/Penalty process and try to find any
steps that can be streamlined.
Improve Compliance CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy
3 Mecklenburg County - Examine the
ability to catalog citizen request for
inspections.
Improve responses to
Service Requests
CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy
4 Mecklenburg County - Continue working
on changing all Erosion Control
ordinances to meet the new State model
ordinance.
Comply with State
Requirements
CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy
5 Town of Huntersville - Update the
Town’s Sediment and Erosion Control
Ordinance to include new State
legislation.
Comply with State
Requirements
N/A 6-30-2022 Kevin Fox
6 Town of Huntersville - Create and online
inspection request form for homebuilders
to use for lot erosion inspections in order
to effectively communicate and increase
efficiency.
Improve Compliance N/A 6-30-2022 Kevin Fox

42

Section 7: Post-Construction Site Runoff Control Program

CMSWS has developed, implemented and enforced a Post-Construction Site Runoff Control
Program for addressing post-construction storm water runoff from new development and
redevelopment projects in Mecklenburg County’s Phase II jurisdictions. The goal of the Post-
Construction Site Runoff Control Program is to reduce pollutants in storm water runoff during
post-construction conditions at new developments and redevelopments, including public
transportation maintained by the permittee, that disturb greater than or equal to one acre.
Developments and redevelopments disturbing less than one acre are included in the program if it
is part of a larger common plan of development or sale that would disturb one acre or more.

7.1 Implementation Status for FY2021

Table 17 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the Post-Construction Site
Runoff Control Program and the specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and June 30,
2021 (FY2021) for implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable goals for
the BMPs specified in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 17: BMP Summary Table for the Post-Construction Site Runoff Control Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
32 Implement
Post-Const.
Storm Water
Ordinances
(PC-1)
During FY21, a total of 130 new projects were permitted in the Mecklenburg
County Phase II jurisdictions for a total of 2,333.4 acres, including 24 new
projects permitted by the Town of Huntersville for a to tal of 301.6 acres. An
annual review of the post-construction ordinances and the Administrative
Manual was completed with only one (1) change being made to the Admin
Manual. During FY21, 14 ordinance interpretations were completed by the
Storm Water Administrator.
X
33 Post-
Construction
Ordinance
Inspections
(PC-2)
During FY21, 785 inspections were performed by Mecklenburg County with 63
NOV’s issued. The Town of Huntersville performed 90 of these inspections. A
total of 450 problems were detected with 67 corrected. Table 18 below provides
a summary of inspection results. Table 19 provides an annual summary of
inspection results back to 2010.
X
34 Post-
Construction
Ordinance
Education
(PC-3)
Due to COVID, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services joined with the
Regional Storm Water Partnership of the Carolinas in conducting a joint post-
construction ordinance training event that was held virtually on December 8,
2020 with 407 persons attending. The purpose of the event was to educate the
community on the requirements of the Post-Construction Runoff Control
Program. The training also included a history of Mecklenburg County’s water
resources and information regarding compliance with the water quality buffer
requirements. In addition, nine (9) new BMP projects came on-line in FY21.
For each project, an email was sent to the owner with information regarding the
BMP attached, including approved plans, maintenance agreement forms with
maintenance plans, brochures about the specific types of BMPs located on the
property, as well as sample inspection sheets. Table 20 provides the number of
educational materials distributed by jurisdiction.
X
35 Evaluate
Effectiveness
of Post-
Construction
Control
Program
An evaluation was completed of the of the Post-Construction Site Runoff
Control Program that included an assessment of all ordinances and supporting
policies, procedures, and guidelines. The FY21 assessment also included an
evaluation of the Measures of Success contained in the Storm Water Plan as
described below.
X

43

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
(PC-5) • Documentation of Storm Water Program Activities – As a baseline measure
of success, staff will document completion of Work Plan program activities
annually that demonstrate successful fulfillment of BMPs associated with
this program element. All activities will be documented within Cityworks.
For the FY21 program assessment, an evaluation of the Cityworks database
has revealed that CMSWS staff effectively documented the completion of
Work Plan activities that demonstrate achievement of each of the measurable
goals for the BMPs associated with this program.
• Improved Compliance – Structural BMPs installed for compliance with post-
construction ordinance requirements will be inspected at a minimum of once
a year. CMSWS will also periodically inspect buffers, undisturbed open
space and other non-structural BMPs to ensure their long-term effectiveness.
CMSWS will track and report the percentage of the number of deficiencies
detected compared to the number of BMP inspections conducted with a
decrease serving as an indicator of success. For FY21, the ratio was 57.32%
based on 450 deficient BMPs identified out of 785 inspections conducted.
This represents a slight increase in deficiencies detected for FY2020, but a
decrease from FY2018 and FY2019 (see Figure 8).

Table 18: Summary of BMP Inspections
Jurisdiction
#
Inspections/
Follow Up
Insp.
Non-
Compliant
BMPs
# BMPs
brought into
compliance
Notice of
Maintenance
#
Correction
Action
Requests
Issued
# Notices of
Violation
Issued
Cornelius 54/1 25 6 19 0 6
Davidson 45/6 7 5 3 0 4
Huntersville 427/4 178 32 144 4 30
Matthews 40/1 49 8 41 0 8
Mint Hill 50/2 42 8 29 5 8
Pineville 25/1 27 8 19 1 7
CMS 125 107 0 5 102 0
CPCC 19 15 0 15 0 0
TOTALS 785/15 450 67 275 112 63

Table 19: BMP Inspections Revealing Problems from 2007 through 2021
Fiscal Year # BMPs # Inspections
Conducted
# BMPs with
Problems
% BMPs with
Problems
2010 355 510 206 58%
2011 418 - 238 57%
2012 497 443 256 58%
2013 630 453 248 55%
2014 664 668 244 36%
2015 713 555 286 51%
2016 926 691 247 36%
2017 1,020 640 408 64%
2018 1,032 610 496 81%
2019 *800 596 409 69%
2020 *789 709 322 45%
2021 *853 695 387 56%

44

Table 20: Summary of BMP Education in FY21
Jurisdiction
Number of educational
materials/ flash drives
given to BMP Owners
Charlotte (CPCC) 0
Cornelius 1
Davidson 1
Huntersville 1
Matthews 1
Mint Hill 1
Pineville 4
TOTALS 9

Figure 8: Percentage of BMP Deficiencies Detected to Inspections Conducted

7.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 21 provides the status of improvements in the Post-Construction Site Runoff Control
Program that were identified in FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 21: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
1 Continue efforts to increase
BMP compliance and reduce
repeat problems.
Improve
Compliance
PC-2 Corey Priddy Completed. 63 NOV’s were
issued this fiscal year for
failing to perform and
provide copies of 3rd Party
inspections. 57 of the

45

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
NOV’s have been brought
into compliance.
2 Mecklenburg County will
work with the Town of
Huntersville to better
transition BMPs from the
construction phase to the
annual inspection phase.
Improve
Compliance
PC-3 Corey Priddy Completed. The Town of
Huntersville now notifies
the County when BMP
bonds are being released
so an inspection can be
done with the Town and
County as the BMP
transitions from
construction inspections
to PCO inspections.
3 Develop a process to better
identify when BMPs need to
be inspected based on the
Ordinance for which they were
installed.
Improve
Compliance
PC-2 Corey Priddy Still being worked on, hope
to have completed by
December 2021.

7.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

Table 22 below includes the improvements in the Post-Construction Controls Program identified
for implementation in FY2022 to improve program effectiveness.

Table 22: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
1 Complete #3 from last year. “Develop a
process to better identify when BMPs
need to be inspected based on the
Ordinance for which they were installed.”
Improve Compliance N/A 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy
2 Work with staff on making sure
educational materials are given out to
new owners of BMPs as restrictions are
now easing from the pandemic.
Determine if Huntersville or
Mecklenburg County will give out this
information in Huntersville.
Increase Awareness of
Requirements
N/A 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy
3 Continue issuing NOV’s for sites where
3rd party inspections are not being
performed and follow-up to ensure
compliance.
Improve Compliance N/A 6-30-2022 Corey Priddy

46

Section 8: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

CMSWS has developed and implemented a Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping Program
for municipal facilities and operations. The goal of the Pollution Prevention/Good
Housekeeping Program is to reduce pollutants in storm water runoff from municipal operations.

8.1 Implementation Status for FY2021

Table 23 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the Pollution Prevention/
Good Housekeeping Program and the specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and June
30, 2021 (FY2021) for implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable goals
for the BMPs specified in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 23: BMP Summary Table for the Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
36 Employee
Training
(PP-1)
The purpose of the Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping training is
to inform municipal operations’ staff of techniques for identifying,
eliminating, or reducing pollution sources at their facilities and around the
community. Pollution prevention and good housekeeping training materials
were developed using an executable program (Articulate) that allows
educational administrators to combine PowerPoint slides and pollution
prevention video clips. Trainings are designed to be administered in small
group settings that provide the opportunity to facilitate discussions on
pollution issues at each facility. All trainings also include the review of
individual Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), Spill
Response and Clean-up Plans, and review of storm drainage systems. Videos
produced by Excal Visual were included in the module and focused on work
at different types of facilities (fleet maintenance, land disturbance, parks and
recreation, solid waste, streets and drainage, and general municipal jobs).
The video identifies activities at these facilities that can negatively impact
surface water and demonstrates suggested prevention techniques. At the end
of the training the participates review the information during a question-and-
answer session. During FY21, a total of 787 municipal operations’ staff from
the Mecklenburg County, the Towns, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
(CMS), and Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) completed the
training program. Storm Water Pollution Prevention (SWPP) training
PowerPoint and video link information through OneDrive was emailed to all
facility managers on April 14, 2021. The completion date was set June 2,
2021. Charlotte Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (CMSWS) staff
normally train CMS and CPCC personnel in person. Due to COVID-19
restrictions, CPCC personnel chose to receive the SWPP training online
through OneDrive access like the Town and County facilities. CMS
personnel received in-person training in 16 small group settings practicing
COVID-19 county and state guidelines. Table 24 below indicates the
number of employees that completed the training by Phase II jurisdiction/
entity in FY21. Several facilities did not complete the required training as
indicated by “Not Reported” in Table 24. This is due in large part to the
COVID-19 restrictions. It is anticipated that all facilities will catch up on
their training in FY23 when hopefully the restrictions are reduced.
X
37 Inspections
(PP-2)
Municipal inspection procedures and inspection forms, including the Phase
II Permit Requirements section, were reviewed at the beginning of FY2020,
and no significant changes were made. On October 28, 2020, CMSWS staff
X

47

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
received training on all Phase II municipal inspections. Training included a
review of inspection protocols, reports, and deadlines. Based on findings
from FY2020 and previous years, common problems were identified, and
inspectors were instructed to provide guidance to facility managers for
resolving them. Emphasis was placed on updating Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) for Phase II municipal facilities and notifying
facility managers of the 2021 audit that was conducted by the State in April
to verify compliance with our Permit. Information about the audit was added
to the cover letter, and an additional form, the Co-Permittee Responsibilities
for Compliance with Phase II Permit Requirements (updated on February 24,
2021), was sent to facility contacts. New Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) for the Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping Program were
developed on December 31, 2020. During FY21, CMSWS staff inspected 55
municipal facilities as follows:
• Mecklenburg County = 15
• Towns (one for each Town) = 6
• Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) = 4
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) = 30
The Harry L. Jones, Sr. Golf Course was also inspected during FY21. Based
on inspection findings in recent years, several areas for improvement were
emphasized during the FY21 inspections, including proper cleanup of
petroleum spills, waste container and trash compactor maintenance, record
keeping for compliance with the Phase II Stormwater Permit, and SWPPP
implementation. Five (5) deficiencies were observed at County and Town
municipal facilities, which is a decrease from seven (7) deficiencies
observed in FY2020. All five (5) deficiencies were for failure to comply
with the SWPPP. Four (4) of the deficiencies were for failure to conduct
semi-annual inspections, three (3) of which were repeat findings. The one
(1) other repeat deficiency was for failure to document the annual no
exposure self-re-certification. All SWPPPs were reviewed and updated by
CMSWS staff to reflect any changes in the previous year, and updated
copies were sent to facility managers. The four (4) CPCC campuses in
Mecklenburg County inspected in FY21 were Central, Cato, Harper, and
Merancas. Areas of emphasis for inspections at CPCC facilities included
structural stormwater best maintenance practices (BMPs) maintenance,
stormwater system maintenance, ensuring that waste containers are properly
covered, and compliance with the Phase II Permit Requirements section.
Zero (0) deficiencies were observed at the CPCC campuses, which is
consistent with the zero (0) deficiencies observed in FY2020. Eleven (11)
other minor issues were observed, including stormwater system and BMP
maintenance as well as not properly covering waste containers. No follow up
inspections were required for CPCC facilities. SWPPPs were updated by
Zack Harris, Grounds and Site Coordinator for CPCC Facilities Services,
and reviewed by CMSWS staff. Inspections were conducted at thirty (30)
CMS facilities. Of these facilities, eight (8) have SWPPPs and are inspected
annually. CMS facilities that do not maintain SWPPPs are inspected
approximately every five (5) years. Areas of emphasis for inspections at
CMS facilities were SWPPP implementation, stormwater system and BMP
maintenance, ensuring that waste containers are properly covered with drain
plugs in place, and compliance with the Phase II Permit Requirements
section. One (1) deficiency was observed at the CMS facilities, which is
consistent with the one (1) observed in FY2020. The one (1) deficiency was
a repeat finding about an uncovered metal waste container. SWPPP updates

48

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
at CMS facilities are completed annually by Mr. Jeff Mitchell,
Environmental Health and Safety Manager for CMS. Six (6) total
deficiencies were observed in FY21. Five (5) of those deficiencies described
above for the County, Towns, CMS, and CPCC were from SWPPP
compliance and the remaining one (1) deficiency was a repeat finding for
failure to cover a metal waste container.
38 Maintain
and Update
an Inventory
of Municipal
Operations
(PP-5)
During FY20-21, CMSWS used the procedures described in the Storm
Water Quality Program Plan to update the inventory of municipal operations
and facilities for the purpose of ensuring the identification of all operations
and facilities that have a significant potential for generating polluted storm
water runoff so that plans can be developed and implemented for eliminating
or reducing these pollutants to protect downstream water quality. As a result,
the following parcels were identified, but none were determined to have a
significant potential to pollute and were therefore not added to the Program:
• Cornelius = 0 lots
• Davidson = 0 lots
• Huntersville = 2 lots (1 single family and 1 vacant)
• Matthews = 2 lots (1 single family and 1 vacant)
• Mint Hill = 2 parcels (single family, Mint Hill VFD)
• Pineville = 2 parcels (cell tower and electrical substation)
• Mecklenburg County = 48 vacant or single-family residential lots, nature
preserve, future school, farmland
• CPCC = 0 lots
• CMS = 0 lots
Six (6) properties purchased by Mecklenburg County had structures on them
and were evaluated using the Facility Exposure Form. These properties
were: PID 20112413, 5324205, 5324102, 20708113, 02716102,
00904103/05. They consisted of two (2) unoccupied former businesses, a
large parcel that is now being graded for a future school, a driving range,
Clarks Creek Nature Preserve and a farm. The properties were determined to
have no potential to pollute stormwater. No new parcels were identified for
Central Piedmont Community College. No new parcels were identified for
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
X
39 Evaluate
Effectiveness
of Pollution
Prevention/
Good
Housekeeping
Program
(PP-9)
During FY21, an evaluation was completed of the effectiveness of the
Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping Program as described in the
FY21 version of the Storm Water Plan. This evaluation revealed that the
Program is performing effectively and efficiently at achieving program goals
and that it meets or exceeds permit requirements. There are two (2) measures
of success for the Program contained in the Storm Water Plan, including the
documentation of the completion of activities that demonstrate the
successful implementation of the Program’s BMPs and a decrease in the
ratio of the number of deficiencies observed at municipal facilities to the
number of inspections conducted. The FY21 evaluation revealed that all
BMP activities had been successfully implemented and documented in
CMSWS’s CityWorks database and that all assigned measurable goals for
the Program had been satisfactorily fulfilled. The evaluation also revealed
that the percentage of the number of deficiencies (potential water quality
problems or permit violations) to the number of inspections has decreased to
10.91% (6 deficiencies/55 inspections) (see Figure 9), which is the
successful trend for this measure of success indicating fewer deficiencies
being detected as a result of inspections. During FY21, a total of 101
“recommendations” for improvement, which do not represent deficiencies,
X

49

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
were made as a result of inspections, which when added to the six (6)
deficiencies totals 107 findings as summarized in Table 25. During FY21,
the majority of findings fell into one (1) of four (4) categories, including
stormwater system and BMPs, erosion, Above Ground Storage Tanks
(ASTs) and waste storage/disposal areas. In total, these categories accounted
for 65 findings or 60.7% of total findings. As in previous years, overgrown
vegetation, trash accumulation, and sedimentation were common problems
associated with unmaintained BMPs. Erosion was observed at various types
of facilities and was usually associated with construction activities or high-
traffic pedestrian areas. Issues noted for ASTs included minor spills and
missing identification labels. Issues at waste storage/ disposal areas were
observed at several facilities and were usually associated with dumpster
wear, such as broken/missing/open lids and corrosion. Other relatively
common issues were associated with material storage areas (7 findings, or
6.5%) and spill response equipment (6 findings, or 5.6%). CMSWS
inspectors recommended that all municipal facilities with the potential to
pollute surface waters should maintain spill kits in the appropriate areas.
During training for FY22, emphasis will be placed on educating facility
managers about preventing common problems that were observed during
FY21. Areas of emphasis will include erosion control (particularly at
construction sites), prompt use and disposal of absorbent materials, use and
maintenance of trash dumpsters, spill prevention during fueling operations,
and maintenance of structural stormwater BMPs. Photos of housekeeping
issues and potential pollution sources observed during inspections will be
provided for training presentations in FY22. The program evaluation also
included an annual assessment of the effectiveness of the BMPs described in
the Storm Water Plan that are currently in use by Mecklenburg County’s
Phase II jurisdictions to reduce pollutants from municipally owned streets,
roads, parking lots, catch basins, and storm water conveyance systems. This
evaluation was based on FY21 data received from the co-permittees
regarding costs and the estimated quantities of pollutants removed as
described in the table below.
BMPs Lbs. Removed Cost Cost/Lb.
Street Sweeping 1,330,067 $455,731 $0.34
Parking Lot Cleaning 15,000 $12,684 $0.85
Conveyance Systems
Cleaning 920,432 $214,470 $0.23
TOTALS 2,265,499 682,885 $0.30
Based on a report produced by R.C. Sutherland in 2013 entitled Clean
Streets Mean Clean Streams, an acceptable pollutant removal range is $3 to
$5 per pound. The cost ranges reported by the co-permittees were
significantly less; therefore, it is determined that these BMPs are effective at
removing pollutants and no changes are proposed in FY22. As part of the
overall evaluation of the Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping
Program, two (2) recommendations for improvement have been made as
described in Section 8.3 below. These recommendations will be
implemented in FY22 through the execution of the Work Plan.

Table 24: Employee Training by Jurisdiction in FY2021
Facility Jurisdiction Training Date # Attending
New Compost Central & Recycling Center Mecklenburg Co. 6/22/2021 5

50

Facility Jurisdiction Training Date # Attending
Old Compost Central & Recycling Center Mecklenburg Co. 6/22/2021 5
Fox Hole Landfill & Recycling Mecklenburg Co. 6/29/2021 10
Hickory Grove Recycling Mecklenburg Co. 6/24/2021 4
Charlotte Recycling Center Mecklenburg Co. Not Reported
Metal & Tire Recycling Mecklenburg Co. 6/24/2021 5
North Meck. Recycling Mecklenburg Co. 6/28/2021 5
Meck. Parks & Recreation Mecklenburg Co. 4/28/2021 41
Park & Rec. – Horticulture Ctr. Mecklenburg Co 4/19/2021 13
Storm Water Operations Mecklenburg Co. 6/16/2021 10
U.S. National Whitewater Mecklenburg Co. Not Reported
Emergency Mgmt. Services Mecklenburg Co. 4/16/2021 4
CT Myers Golf Course Mecklenburg Co. Not Reported
Harry L. Jones Golf Course Mecklenburg Co. Not Reported
Dr. Charles Sifford Golf Course Mecklenburg Co. Not Reported
Sunset Hills Golf Course Mecklenburg Co. Not Reported
Tradition Golf Course Mecklenburg Co. 6/5/2021 5
Cornelius Public Works Town of Cornelius Not Reported
Davidson Public Works Town of Davidson 4/15/2021 12
Huntersville Public Works Town of
Huntersville 4/23/2021 20
Matthews Public Works Town of Matthews 4/28/2021 31
Mint Hill Public Works Town of Mint Hill Not Reported
Pineville Public Works Town of Pineville 4/15/2021 58
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools CMS 6/9, 6/16, 6/30, 7/23,
7/16, and 7/31/2021 483
Central Piedmont Community College CPCC 6/28, 6/29/2021 76
TOTAL 787

Table 25: Summary of Inspection Findings from FY2008 through FY2021
Inspection Findings
Number of Findings by Fiscal Year
Totals 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Storm water System &
BMPs1 0 0 0 0 0 17 25 14 12 21 26 25 18 17 175
Erosion 0 0 1 0 0 16 8 10 12 21 26 20 16 11 141
Illicit
discharges/connections 3 5 3 0 0 3 4 6 8 3 4 7 2 0 48
Aboveground Storage
Tanks2 - - - - - - - - - 5 7 3 5 12 32
Underground Storage
Tanks2 - - - - - - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 0
Material Storage Area(s) 0 2 2 0 0 2 7 7 0 15 11 11 14 7 78
Processing Area(s)2 - - - - - - - - - 2 2 4 1 1 10
Loading/Unloading
Area(s)2 - - - - - - - - - 8 7 3 3 2 23

51

Inspection Findings
Number of Findings by Fiscal Year
Totals 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Vehicle/Equipment
Areas(s) 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 11 10 11 6 2 47
Oil/Water Separator /
Pretreatment2 - - - - - - - - - 7 2 2 1 0 12
Waste Storage/Disposal
Area(s) 1 5 5 0 0 7 8 16 26 31 26 26 26 25 202
Food Service Area(s)2 - - - - - - - - - 2 1 2 0 1 6
Floor Drains2 - - - - - - - - - 6 2 0 0 2 10
Spill Response
Equipment2 - - - - - - - - - 11 15 12 10 6 54
Equipment Maintenance
Needed3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - 2
Inadequate
Housekeeping3 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - 4
Not Operating in
Accordance with SWPPP 7 5 4 0 0 10 5 4 5 11 13 9 30 21 124
Totals 13 19 17 0 0 55 61 58 65 154 152 135 132 107 968
1. The Storm water System and BMPs are separated on the current inspection checklist but are combined in this
table for comparison to previous years.
2. These categories were not tracked in the annual report prior to FY17.
3. Starting with FY2017, these findings are tracked under other categories (e.g., material storage areas, processing
areas, etc.).

Figure 9: Percentage of Deficiencies Detected at Facilities to Inspections Conducted

52

8.2 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 26 provides the status of improvements in the Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
Program that were identified in FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 26: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsible
Staff Implementation Status
1 Enhance efforts to ensure Phase II
municipal operations and
facilities are complying with
NPDES storm water permit
requirements by emphasizing the
importance of ensuring
compliance prior to the State
audit in 2021.
Improve
Compliance
PP-2 Richard
Farmer
Completed. Information about
the audit was added to the
cover letter, and an additional
form, the Co-Permittee
Responsibilities for
Compliance with Phase II
Permit Requirements, was sent
to facility contacts.
2 Increase efforts to ensure
pesticide licenses are current and
verify continuing education
requirements through the North
Carolina Department of
Agriculture and Consumer
Services website and document
for each applicator.
Permit
Compliance
PP-2(a) Richard
Farmer
Completed. Facilities provided
applicator name(s) and/or
license number(s) to CMSWS
staff, who then verified that all
applicable continuing
education credits were
completed and that the license
was currently active on the
North Carolina Department of
Agriculture and Consumer
Services website.

8.3 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

There are no improvements identified for implementation in FY2022 for the Pollution
Prevention/Good Housekeeping Program.

53

Section 9: Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

CMSWS has developed and implemented a program for addressing non-point source pollutant
loading associated with the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) approved by EPA for the
receiving waters of the Phase II MS4 storm water discharges and/or waters downstream of these
discharges. The goal of the TMDL Program is to reduce non-point source pollutant loading to
the receiving stream to the maximum extent practicable.

9.1 Implementation Status for FY2021

Table 27 describes the BMPs identified in the Storm Water Plan for the TMDL Program and the
specific actions completed between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 (FY2021) for
implementation of these BMPs as well as whether the measurable goals for the BMPs specified
in the plan have been fulfilled.

Table 27: BMP Summary Table for the TMDL Program
BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
40 Evaluate
Impaired
Waters
(IW-1)
In January 2021, the State issued its Draft 2020 303(d) list and integrated 305(b)
and 303(d) reports. CMSWS reviewed these reports and determined that no new
TMDLs have been approved in Mecklenburg County. Since no new TMDLs have
been approved, no changes will be made to the existing Water Quality Recovery
Programs and Strategies. However, review of the reports revealed new Category 5
Turbidity listings for Rocky River (AU 13-17a) and North Fork Crooked Creek
(AU 13-17-20-1). New TMDLs may be triggered in the future as a result of these
new listings. The surface waters with approved TMDLs in Mecklenburg County
flow through both Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions except for Goose Creek and
the Rocky River, which lie entirely in Phase II. To ensure effective coordination,
the City of Charlotte, which holds a Phase I Permit, and Mecklenburg County and
the Towns, which hold a joint Phase II Permit, have agreed that the City of
Charlotte will serve as the lead jurisdiction for compliance with TMDL
requirements when the majority of the TMDL watershed lies within the Phase I
jurisdiction. When most of the watershed lies within Phase II, Mecklenburg
County will serve as the lead. Table 28 identifies the receiving waters for MS4
discharges in Mecklenburg County that have a TMDL approved by EPA as well
as the lead organization for compliance with TMDL requirements based on the
above criteria. Figure 10 shows the locations of these receiving waters in relation
to the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County. The lead
jurisdiction as identified in Table 28 is responsible for coordinating and
implementing all required TMDL compliance efforts and submitting all the
required plans and reports to the State. They are also responsible for coordinating
with the other jurisdictions as necessary in the implementation of compliance
efforts.
X
41 Water Quality
Recovery
Plans
(IW-2)
All Water Quality Recovery Plans have been developed and implemented for
those watersheds with TMDLs that are the responsibility of Mecklenburg County
as described in Table 28 below. These Plans are incorporated into Section 9 of the
Storm Water Plan. The BMPs described in the Storm Water Plan for TMDL
compliance were effectively and efficiently implemented in FY21.
X
42 Assess,
Report and
Modify
WQRPs
An evaluation was completed of the effectiveness of the TMDL Program as
described in the latest version of the Storm Water Plan. The required TMDL
annual report was completed and is provided as Attachment 1 to this report.
X

54

BMP
#
BMP
Description Implementation Actions Goal Met
Yes No
(IW-4)

Table 28: Approved TMDLS for Mecklenburg County’s Phase I and Phase II Jurisdictions
AU Name AU Number Class TMDL
Pollutant
EPA
Approved
MS4
Allocation?
Lead
Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 11-137-1 C
DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Long Creek 11-120-(0.5) C Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Long Creek 11-120-(2.5) WS-IV Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Long Creek 11-120-(7) WS-IV CA Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Little Sugar 11-137-8a C DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Little Sugar 11-137-8b C DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Little Sugar 11-137-8c C
DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9a

C

DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9b C
DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9c

C

DO 2/5/96 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9d

C

DO 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Sugar Creek 11-137b C Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Sugar Creek 11-137c C Fecal Coliform 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McKee Creek 13-17-8-4 C Fecal Coliform 8/1/2003 Yes Charlotte
Rocky River 13-17a C Fecal Coliform 9/19/2002 Yes Mecklenburg
Steele Creek (1) 11-137-10 C Fecal Coliform 5/2007 Yes Charlotte
Lake Wylie 11-122 C Chlorophyll-a 2/5/1996 No Mecklenburg
Lake Wylie 11-(123.5)a C Chlorophyll-a 2/5/1996 No Mecklenburg
Goose Creek 13-17-18a C Fecal Coliform 7/8/2005 Yes Mecklenburg
Goose Creek 13-17-18b C Fecal Coliform 7/8/2005 Yes Mecklenburg
Statewide Statewide All Mercury 10/12/2012 NA NA

55

Figure 10: Waters of Mecklenburg County with Approved TMDLs

56

9.2 TMDL Activities by Watershed

Table 29 below provides the number of activities performed during FY2021 in the 11 TMDL
watersheds in Mecklenburg County. The total number of activities was 340,839.

Table 29: FY2021 TMDL Activities by Watershed

Activity
TMDL Watershed in Mecklenburg County Goose Irwin Lake Wylie Little Sugar Long McAlpine McDowell McKee Rocky River Steele Sugar Totals
# Buffer Mitigations Approved 0 7 2 16 3 8 1 1 0 1 3 42
# Information Requests/Questions (+) 100 40 100 100 40 75 50 35 20 50 100 710
# CMANN Monitoring Sites 1 1 1 5 1 4 2 1 1 1 2 20
# CMANN Oxygen Measurements 6,839 7,414 4,515 70,422 6,053 21,378 13,857 5,999 3,761 6,877 15,250 162,365
# CMANN Turbidity Measurements 3,853 5,996 3,312 54,798 5,016 15,594 10,809 6,360 1,958 4,186 11,756 123,638
# School Presentations 0 2 3 10 2 4 0 0 0 0 6 27
# Students Attending 0 16 221 247 148 141 0 0 0 0 215 988
# Service Request 7 2 17 3 6 44 32 0 7 1 3 122
# Service Request Inspections 12 2 21 5 11 67 45 0 9 0 4 176
# IDEP Business Corridor Inspections 0 5 0 11 1 5 1 0 0 2 5 30
# IDEP Outfall Inspections 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
# IDEP Problems Corrected 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
# Fecal Coliform Samples Collected 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
# Industrial Inspections Conducted 0 14 2 6 5 0 0 0 0 5 7 39
# Industrial Outfall Inspections 0 28 4 7 7 0 0 0 0 13 17 76
# Vehicle Facility Inspections 0 3 0 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 20
# Illicit Discharges Corrected 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5
# Industrial Facilities Monitored 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 8
# TSS Samples Collected 26 13 0 52 13 91 26 13 13 13 26 286
# Turbidity Samples Collected 26 13 58 52 13 91 26 13 13 13 26 344
# DO Samples Collected 24 12 72 48 12 84 24 12 12 12 26 338
# Fecal Coliform Samples Collected 26 13 73 60 13 97 26 13 13 13 26 373
# Action/ Watch Level Follow-Ups 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
# Municipal Facilities Inspected 1 17 1 25 5 13 7 0 1 2 19 91
# Municipal Facility Outfall Inspections 2 38 0 42 10 23 21 0 3 2 42 183
# of Municipal Facility Monitored 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
# NOVs Issued 1 20 3 29 6 14 3 0 0 2 11 89
# Civil Penalties Prepared 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4
# WQ Problems Detected 0 0 11 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 18
# Illicit Discharges Corrected 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
# Failing Septic Systems Corrected 1 6 2 3 12 13 3 2 0 0 0 42
# Multifamily Sewer Inspections 0 1 0 27 0 13 0 0 0 0 4 45
# O&M Plans Received 0 0 0 15 0 9 0 0 0 0 2 26
# Steam Miles Assessed 12 74 0 0 92 0 63 18 0 0 0 259
# Outfalls Inspected 15 196 0 0 50 0 111 64 0 0 0 436
# Dry Weather Flows Detected 1 69 0 0 5 0 9 2 0 0 0 86
# Dry Weather Flows Sampled 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9
# IDDE Problems Corrected 0 8 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 14
# Stream Miles Cleaned 2 17 0 52 0 35 9 1 2 2 9 130
# Pounds Trash/Debris Removed 132 11,779 0 25,546 0 5,330 855 200 110 1,065 2,999 48,016
# Volunteer Monitoring Reports 3 4 0 45 0 34 9 0 5 22 0 122
# Volunteer Samples Collected 3 4 0 45 0 34 9 0 5 22 0 122
# Storm Drains Marked 95 335 0 85 125 126 468 0 184 55 53 1,526
Totals 11,182 26,165 8,419 151,785 11,655 43,332 26,466 12,737 6,117 12,359 30,621 340,839

57

9.3 Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021

Table 30 provides the status of improvements in the TMDL Program that were identified in
FY2020 for implementation in FY2021.

Table 30: Status of Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2021
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY21
Desired
Result
Program
Element
Responsibl
e Staff
Implementation
Status
1 Routine fixed interval monitoring will
continue to be performed monthly at
MY-9 on Goose Creek at Stevens Mill
Road, MY-14 on Duck Creek at Tara
Oaks Lane, and at MY1B located
upstream of the Rocky River TMDL
watershed. Monthly samples will be
analyzed for 16 parameters including
fecal coliform and E. Coli. Exceedances
of established water quality watch and
action levels will be identified and
follow up actions conducted as necessary
for the identification and elimination of
pollution sources.
Permit
Compliance
ID-4.1(a);
monthly
Alex
Hattaway
Completed.
2 By June 30, 2021, CMSWS will
complete a review of Health Department
records to determine where failed septic
systems have been identified in both the
Rocky River and Goose Creek TMDL
watersheds. Follow up inspections and
monitoring will be performed as
necessary to ensure the elimination of
sources of fecal coliform bacteria
associated with failed septic systems
thereby addressing impaired waters.
Permit
Compliance
IW-2(c) &
(d); deadlines
12-31-21 &
2-26-21,
respectively
Iva Barnes Completed.
3 By June 30, 2021, major outfalls will be
inspected in the Rocky River TMDL
watershed. Dry weather flows will be
identified, and pollution sources
eliminated thereby addressing impaired
waters.
Permit
Compliance
IW-2(e) &
(f); deadlines
3-31-21 & 5-
31-21,
respectively
Iva Barnes Completed.
4 By August 2020, the contractor selection
process for the proposed West Branch
Rocky River restoration will be
completed. Construction activities
associated with Phase I of the project
will begin by October 2020. Currently,
the Rocky River is severely eroded by
storm water flows that eat away at the
stream banks. The restoration project
will stabilize the stream banks to reduce
erosion and improve water quality in the
creek.
Permit
Compliance
Engineering
& Mitigation
Program
Tim
Trautman
In February
2021, the
permitting and
bidding
activities were
completed.
Construction
activities
began in May
2021 and are
expected to be
completed
May 2022.

58

9.4 Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022

Table 31 below includes the improvements in the TMDL Program identified for implementation
in FY2022 to improve program effectiveness.

Table 31: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
1 Improve data collection and reporting
for compiling the annual TMDL report.
Permit Compliance IW-4(b) 6-30-2022 Tim Besier
2 Construction activities associated with
the restoration of a 9,000-foot section of
West Branch Rocky River are expected
to be completed by May 2022.
Historically, West Branch Rocky River
has been severely degraded by storm
water flows that erode the stream banks.
The restoration project will stabilize the
stream banks to reduce erosion and
improve water quality.
Permit Compliance Engineering
&
Mitigation
Program
6-30-2022 Tim Trautman

59

Section 10: Program Effectiveness

During FY2021, the permittee has satisfactorily implemented the BMPs and fulfilled the
measurable goals specified in Storm Water Permit No. NCS000395 in accordance with the Storm
Water Plan. The other provisions of the Permit have also been satisfactorily fulfilled; therefore,
compliance with the Permit has been achieved. The permittee further finds that the
implementation of the Storm Water Plan as well as the individual BMPs contained in the Plan
has resulted in satisfactory compliance with five (5) of the nine (9) or 55.55% of the identified
measures of success as indicated in Table 32. This represents an 30.15% decline in success from
FY2020 at 85.7% (6 out of 7). The implementation of the program enhancements described in
Table 33 are meant to improve effectiveness at meeting these measures.

Table 32: Measures of Success in FY2021
# Measures of Success Target FY2021
Results
Target Met
(Yes or No)
1 Documentation – Document Storm Water Program
activities that demonstrate successful fulfillment of
BMPs.
100% of Activities
Documented
100% Yes
2 Increasing Awareness – Minimum of 50% of
survey respondents indicating they are aware that
water flowing into storm drains goes directly to
creeks and lakes.
50% 75.7% Yes
3 Increasing Extent of Exposure – Increased
percentage of population reached based on Media
Campaign results compared to the previous fiscal
year.
Increase from
FY2020 at
6,828,720
5,751,958 No
4 Increasing Number of Volunteers – Increase in the
number of volunteers compared to the previous
fiscal year.
Increase from
FY2020 at 3,192
3,659 Yes
5 Increasing Pollution Problems Identified –
Increase in the percentage of the number of
Notices of Violation issued to the number of IDDE
inspections conducted compared to the previous
fiscal year.
Increase from
FY2020 at 11.21%
(25 NOVs/223
inspections)
8.36%
(24 NOVs/287
inspections)
No
6 Repeat Violators – Percentage of repeat violators
not to exceed the average percentage for the last 3
years.
Decrease from
17.66%
12.61% Yes
7 Improving Compliance – Decrease in the
percentage of the number of Notices of Violation
issued to the number of erosion control inspections
conducted compared to the previous fiscal year.
Decrease from
FY2020 at 1.19%
(23 NOVs/ 1,931
inspections)
1.21%
23 NOVs/1,906
inspections
No
8 Improving Compliance – Decrease in the
percentage of the number of noncompliant BMPs
to the number of inspections conducted compared
to the previous fiscal year.
Decrease from
FY2020 at 45.42%
(322 noncompliant
BMPs/709
inspections)
57.32%
(450
noncompliant
BMPs/785
inspections
No
9 Improving Compliance – Decrease in the
percentage of the number of deficiencies observed
at municipal facilities to the number of inspections
conducted compared to the previous fiscal year.
Decrease from
FY2020 at 14.81%
(8 deficiencies/54
inspections
10.91% (6
deficiencies/55
inspections
Yes

60

Section 11: Program Enhancements for FY2022

Table 33 summarizes the improvements recommended for implementation in FY2022 as
identified in the previous sections. In the FY2022 annual report, the status of the implementation
of these improvements will be described.

Table 33: Improvements Identified for Implementation in FY2022
# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task
Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
Public Education and Outreach
1 Continue to develop a plan to evaluate
and improve public education and
public involvement to minority
populations in Mecklenburg County.
Increase Awareness
Among Minorities
PE-10(i) 6-30-2022
(ongoing)
Taylor
Mebane
2 Develop and implement a plan to
promote the Char-Meck Alert System
for notifying citizens of swimming
advisories in Mecklenburg County.
Increase Awareness
Among Lake Users
PE-10(k) 6-30-2022 David
Caldwell
and Ashley
Smith
3 Develop and implement new public
education wrap for one of our fleet
trucks.
Increase Awareness
Among General
Population
PE-10(l) 6-30-2022 Ashley
Smith
4 Roll out public education video
competition to schools.
Increase Awareness
Among Students
PE-10(h) 12-31-2021 Ken Friday
5 Continue to develop a children’s
educational video for use in the schools
Increase Awareness
Among Students
PE-10(g) 12-31-2021 Ashley
Smith
Public Involvement and Participation
1 Develop a group/generic email account
to be used for volunteers to send forms
and data to, to prevent relying on
individual email accounts during staff
absences.
Streamline
communication with
volunteers
PI-2(f), PI-
3(f)
6-30-2022 David
Caldwell
2 Investigate promoting Volunteer
Monitoring during our regular Volun-
Thursday events.
Increase volunteer
activity
PE-10(n) 6-30-2022 Taylor
Mebane
3 Investigate adding a new “no
infrastructure” key to the storm drain
marking map on the web.
Improve management
of storm drain marking
program
PI-3(g) 6-30-2022 Ashley
Smith
4 Investigate hosting a plogging club for
the Adopt a Stream program.
Increase volunteer
activity
PI-2(g) 6-30-2022 Taylor
Mebane
5 Host at least 2 tree planting events. Increase volunteer
activity
PE-10(m) 6-30-2022 Ken Friday
6 Promote compost recycling centers
during municipal training.
Promote pollution
prevention BMPs
PP-1(b) 12-31-2021 Ken Friday
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination (IDDE)
1 Install cameras at 2, Phase 2 CMANN
sites.
Help confirm possible
pollution issues
detected by the
CMANN equipment.
ID-4.10(c) 6-30-2022 Iva Barnes
2 Begin enforcement of PAH limitations. Reduce the use of
parking lot sealants
containing > 0.1%
PAHs, by weight.
ID-6(d) 1-2-2022 All field
staff
3 Reinspect facilities that have been
issued a penalty within the last 3 fiscal
Ensure continued
compliance with local
ID-9(g) 6-30-2022 John Thao

61

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task
Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
years. ordinances.
4 Develop the capability to create outfall
inspections in Cityworks for all stream
walk outfall inspections.
Ensure we have a
historic record of all
outfall inspections.
ID-8(f) 12-31-2021 Silvio Conte
& Hannah
Meeler
5 Use water quality modeling to identify
problem areas for monitoring and
follow up.
Identify and eliminate
pollution sources.
ID-4.7-
CO(f)
6-30-2022 Robert
Sowah
Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control
1 Mecklenburg County - Evaluate the
usage of drones for site inspections.
Improve Compliance CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
2 Mecklenburg County - Examine the
NOV/Penalty process and try to find
any steps that can be streamlined.
Improve Compliance CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
3 Mecklenburg County - Examine the
ability to catalog citizen request for
inspections.
Improve responses to
Service Requests
CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
4 Mecklenburg County - Continue
working on changing all Erosion
Control ordinances to meet the new
State model ordinance.
Comply with State
Requirements
CS-1 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
5 Town of Huntersville - Update the
Town’s Sediment and Erosion Control
Ordinance to include new State
legislation.
Comply with State
Requirements
N/A 6-30-2022 Kevin Fox
6 Town of Huntersville - Create and
online inspection request form for
homebuilders to use for lot erosion
inspections in order to effectively
communicate and increase efficiency.
Improve Compliance N/A 6-30-2022 Kevin Fox
Post-Construction Site Runoff Control
1 Complete #3 from last year. “Develop
a process to better identify when BMPs
need to be inspected based on the
Ordinance for which they were
installed.”
Improve Compliance N/A 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
2 Work with staff on making sure
educational materials are given out to
new owners of BMPs as restrictions are
now easing from the pandemic.
Determine if Huntersville or
Mecklenburg County will give out this
information in Huntersville.
Increase Awareness of
Requirements
N/A 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
3 Continue issuing NOV’s for sites where
3rd party inspections are not being
performed and follow-up to ensure
compliance.
Improve Compliance N/A 6-30-2022 Corey
Priddy
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
1 Improve data collection and reporting
for compiling the annual TMDL report.
Permit Compliance IW-4(b) 6-30-2022 Tim Besier
2 Construction activities associated with
the restoration of a 9,000-foot section
of West Branch Rocky River are
expected to be completed by May 2022.
Permit Compliance Engineerin
g &
Mitigation
Program
6-30-2022 Tim
Trautman

62

# Improvements Identified for
Implementation in FY22 Desired Result Task
Code Deadline Responsible
Staff
Historically, West Branch Rocky River
has been severely degraded by storm
water flows that erode the stream
banks. The restoration project will
stabilize the stream banks to reduce
erosion and improve water quality.

63

Section 12: Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan Modifications for FY2021

Part II, Section A of Mecklenburg County’s Phase II Permit (Permit # NCS000395) specifies
that the Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan, referred to as the Storm Water Plan,
must be kept up to date by the permittee. It further specifies that the permittee must evaluate the
effectiveness of the Storm Water Plan at least annually and modify as necessary to address any
procedural, protocol or programmatic changes. The modified Storm Water Plan must be
submitted to the Director of NCDEQ within 90 days for approval. In FY2021, CMSWS
completed its annual review of the Storm Water Plan developed for compliance with Permit #
NCS000395. Table 34 below describes those changes that were implemented prior to
Mecklenburg County’s Phase II Audit by the State in April 2021. An evaluation was also
completed of the Storm Water Plan in October 2021 for FY2022. Table 35 describes the
changes made that were effective November 1, 2021.

Table 34: Changes Made to the Storm Water Plan in FY2021
# Location of
Change Description of Change Justification Impact to Storm Water
Plan
1 Section 2.8 Added a sentence to the text and
changed Table 8 to reflect changes to
our Targeted Pollutants.
To align with Charlotte
Storm Water Services since
the media campaign is
conducted jointly.
More accurately reflects
how work is being
performed.
2 Section 3.2 Updated Table 1 to include the most
up-to-date results from our storm
sewer system inventory.
Include most recent data in
the SWMP.
More accurately reflects
system size.
3 Section 3.10 Changed target audiences to reflect
changes to Table 8.
To align with Charlotte
Storm Water Services since
the media campaign is
conducted jointly.
More accurately reflects
how work is being
performed.
4 Section 4.2 Under #1 in Table 9, replaced
meetings with co-permittees at least
twice a year with quarterly
reports/statements.
Quarterly reports are better
at communicating progress
toward permit
implementation.
Improves communication
with co-permittees.
Meetings still held as
necessary (see #4 on page
33).
5 Sections
4.2, 5.2, 6.2,
7.2, 8.2, 9.2,
10.2, and
11.2
BMP Summary Tables were changed
to reflect the format requested by
NCDEQ.
To align with NCDEQ’s
recommended format.
More accurately reflects
individual measurable
goals and responsibilities
of co-permittees.
6 Section 4.4 Removed the outline for SOPs. The outline may soon
change as we include some
of Charlotte Storm Water’s
SOPs.
Prevents unimportant
future revisions to the
SWMP to reflect SOP
outline changes.
7 Section 4.6 Added Table 14. Describe changes made to
the SWMP as a result of the
State’s audit during the week
of April 26, 2021.
Provides documentation
of changes to SWMP.
8 Sections 4.8 Replaced Doug Wright with Jesse
Bouk as the Public Works Director
and contact for Davidson.
Include most recent
information in the SWMP.
Updates the contact for
Davidson.
9 Section 4.10 Under #1, removed the annual
requirement for development of a
Funding Strategy.
Funding Strategies are
always developed and are in
effect but are not always
More accurately reflects
the timing for changing
funding requirements.

64

# Location of
Change Description of Change Justification Impact to Storm Water
Plan
updated annually.
10 Section 4.10 Under #3, added quarterly reports are
submitted to co-permittees.
Quarterly reports are better
at communicating progress
toward permit
implementation.
Improved communication
with co-permittees.
11 Section 4.10 Under #4, changed meetings with co-
permittees from at least twice a year to
as needed.
No need for bi-annual
meetings since quarterly
reports are being provided.
Improved communication
with co-permittees.
12 Section 5.4 Added last paragraph to the Section to
describe the process for updating
storm sewer maps for new
developments.
Reflect improvements made
to the process effective
January 2021.
More accurate, up to date
storm sewer maps.
13 Section 5.5 Added the revision of Davidson’s
Surface Water Pollution Control
Ordinance effective January 26, 2021.
To improve enforcement and
to align Davidson’s
ordinance with the other
County jurisdictions.
Improve elimination of
IDDEs.
14 Section
6.4.2
Added the July 15, 2021 public
meeting for Permit renewal.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
None.
15 Section 7.4 Added a paragraph explaining
maintenance of SCMs owned by co-
permittees.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
16 Section 7.5 Added a paragraph explaining the
applicability of the County’s pollution
control ordinance in Mint Hill’s
jurisdiction that extends into Union
County.
Provide County Attorney’s
determination for future
reference.
Addresses an audit
finding.
17 Section 7.11 Changed #10 to reflect that the owner
of the BMP is responsible for annual
inspections and submitting
documentation to CMSWS as well as
for correcting violations.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
18 Section 8.3 Simplified the description of the
inventory process.
Reflect improvements made
to the process effective
January 2021.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
19 Section 8.5 Added a section describing SOPs. Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
20 Section 8.6 Added a paragraph explaining
inspections of public schools.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
21 Section 8.7 Changed the street sweeping BMP. Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
22 Section 8.8 Added a paragraph at the end of the
section stating that co-permittees are
required to maintain and implement an
Operation & Maintenance Program for
post-construction SCMs that it owns,
including the frequency of inspections
and routine maintenance requirements.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
23 Section 8.10 Added BMP (SOPs) for controlling
pollutants from winter road
maintenance.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
24 Section 8.12 Expanded the BMPs (SOPs) for
controlling pollutants from vehicle and
equipment maintenance, cleaning and
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.

65

# Location of
Change Description of Change Justification Impact to Storm Water
Plan
refueling.
25 Section 10.3 Add a new Table 33 to include
changes made to the 2021 SWMP
effective February 2021.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
26 Section 10.3 Removed Latta Plantation and
McDowell Nature Preserves from
Table 26.
As a result of the FY21
inspections of these
facilities, it was determined
that they no longer represent
a significant potential for
generating stormwater
pollution.
Annual inspections and
staff training are no
longer required at these
facilities.
27 Section 10.7 Added a Section to describe
coordination between co-permittees.
Comply with requirements
of Permit.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
28 Appendix A Added a column to indicate the part of
the Permit that applies to each
program eliminate and a column to
indicate co-permittee responsibilities.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.
29 Appendix D Simplified the description of the
inventory process.
Reflect improvements made
to the process effective
January 2021.
Reflects how this work is
being performed.

Table 35: Changes Made to the Storm Water Plan in FY2022
# Location of
Change Description of Change Justification Impact to SWMP
1 Section 4.6 Updated information regarding
assessments of the SWMP and Work
Plan.
Update with most current
information.
Compliance with Permit
requirements.
2 Section 7.4 Changed the methodology for updating
the storm sewer system map.
Old method no longer valid. Compliance with Permit
requirements.
3 Sections
11.9 and
11.10
Updated information based on data
from the FY21 TMDL Annual
Assessment.
Update with most current
data.
Compliance with Permit
requirements.
Annual Report for July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 - Phase II MS4 Permit No. NCS000395
66
Attachment 1: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the TMDL Program
For Compliance With:
NPDES Phase II Storm Water Permit Number NCS000395
Reporting Period:
FY2021 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021)
Submitted By:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
Submittal Date:
November 2021
i

Table of Contents
Section 1: TMDLs in Mecklenburg County .............................................................................1
Section 2: Assessment of Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan .........................5
2.1 BMPs and Associated Measurable Goals................................................................5
2.2 Description of Existing BMPs and Their Effectiveness ..........................................6
2.2.1 Public Education & Outreach (Section 3 of SWQMPP) ..........................................6
2.2.2 Public Involvement and Participation (Section 4 of SWQMPP) ............................ 18
2.2.3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) (Section 5 of SWQMPP) ...... 21
2.2.4 Charlotte Water Program ..................................................................................... 30
2.2.5 Sewer Use Ordinance ........................................................................................... 30
2.2.6 Sanitary Sewer System Inspections and Maintenance ........................................... 30
2.2.7 SSO Rapid Response ........................................................................................... 31
2.2.8 Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control (Section 6 of SWQMPP) ............. 31
2.2.9 Post-Construction Site Runoff Control (Section 7 of SWQMPP) .......................... 32
2.2.10 Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping (Section 8 of SWQMPP) .............. 33
Section 3: Current TMDL Monitoring Strategies.................................................................. 35
3.1 Rocky River Fecal Coliform Monitoring and Land Use Evaluation ...................... 36
3.2 Goose Creek Fecal Coliform Monitoring.............................................................. 39
3.3 Lake Wylie Chlorophyll-A Monitoring ................................................................ 40
3.4 Mercury Monitoring Statewide ............................................................................ 42
3.5 Effectiveness of BMPs Based on Data Analysis ................................................... 42
Section 4: Additional BMP Measures ..................................................................................... 43
4.1 Additional BMPs Implemented for the Rocky River TMDL in FY2021 ............... 43
4.2 Additional BMPs Implemented for the Goose Creek TMDL in FY2021 ............... 43
4.3 Additional BMPs to be Implemented in FY2022 .................................................. 44
Section 5: Tracking and Reporting Success ........................................................................... 44
Section 6: TMDL Reporting ................................................................................................... 44

Tables:
Table 1: Approved TMDLs for Mecklenburg County’s Phase I and Phase II Jurisdictions...........2
Table 2: BMP Summary Table for Impaired Waters with TMDLs ...............................................5
ii

Table 3: School Presentations Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 .............................. 10
Table 4: Presentations Conducted in FY2021 ............................................................................ 11
Table 5: Events Attended in FY2021 ......................................................................................... 14
Table 6: Adopt-A-Stream Activities Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 .................... 19
Table 7: Storm Drain Marking Activities Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 ............. 20
Table 8: The Big Spring Clean Activities Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 ............ 20
Table 9: Service Requests Responded to by Jurisdiction in FY2021 .......................................... 22
Table 10: Service Requests and Inspections Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 ......... 23
Table 11: NOVs and Penalties Issued in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 .................................... 24
Table 12: Inspections Conducted at Private Facilities in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 ............ 24
Table 13: Industrial Monitoring in Phase I TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 ................................ 25
Table 14: CMANN Water Quality Measurements in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 ................. 25
Table 15: Baseflow Exceedances in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 .......................................... 26
Table 16: Stream Walk Data Collected in Phase I and Phase II TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 . 28
Table 17: Summary of FY2021 BMP Inspections by Jurisdiction .............................................. 33
Table 18: Municipal Facility Inspections Conducted in Phase II TMDL Watersheds in FY2021 34
Table 19: Annual Analysis of the Rocky River Watershed for the Monitoring Plan ................... 37
Table 20: NCDWQ Fecal Coliform Data for Site Q7330000 on the Rocky River ...................... 38
Table 21: CMSWS Fecal Coliform Data for Site # MY9 on the Goose Creek ............................ 39

Figures
Figure 1: Waters of Mecklenburg County with Approved TMDLs ..............................................4
Figure 2: FY2021 Stream Walk Basins in Phase I and Phase II ................................................. 29
Figure 3: Water Quality Monitoring Locations in Mecklenburg County .................................... 36
Figure 4: Geometric Mean for Fecal Coliform on Rocky River Site Q7330000 ......................... 38
Figure 5: Compliance with Fecal Coliform Standard on Rocky River Site Q7330000 ................ 39
Figure 6: Geometric Mean for Fecal Coliform on Goose Creek Site MY9 ................................. 40
Figure 7: Compliance with Fecal Coliform Standard on Goose Creek Site MY9 ....................... 40
Figure 8: Annual Average Chlorophyll-a Concentration on Lake Wylie .................................... 41
Figure 9: Annual Average Chlorophyll-a on Lake Wylie Coves, Main Stem and Tributaries ..... 42
1

Section 1: TMDLs in Mecklenburg County

The purpose of this document is to satisfy the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reporting
requirement for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 (FY2021) as specified in Section
H of NPDES Phase II Storm Water Permit Number NCS000395.

Several of the TMDL watersheds in Mecklenburg County span both Phase I and Phase II
jurisdictions. All Phase I and Phase II TMDL compliance efforts are administered by Charlotte -
Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (CMSWS), which includes both City of Charlotte (City) an d
Mecklenburg County (County) programs. The City’s program is responsible for compliance
with its Phase I storm water permit and Mecklenburg County’s program is responsible for Phase
II permit compliance for the County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Central Piedmont
Community College and the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill,
and Pineville. To ensure effective coordination, the City and County have agreed that the City
will serve as the lead jurisdiction for compliance with TMDL requirements when the majority of
the TMDL watershed lies within the Phase I jurisdiction. When most of the watershed lies
within Phase II, the County will serve as the lead. The lead jurisdiction is responsible for
coordinating and implementing all required TMDL compliance efforts and submitting all the
required plans and reports to the State. They are also responsible for coordinating with the other
jurisdictions as necessary in the implementation of compliance efforts. Table 1 indicates the lead
jurisdiction for all the approved TMDLs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

In January 2021, the State issued its Draft 2020 303(d) list and integrated 305(b) and 303(d)
reports. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (CMSWS) reviewed these reports and
determined that no new TMDLs have been approved in Mecklenburg County. Since no new
TMDLs have been approved, no changes will be made to the existing Water Quality Recovery
Programs and Strategies. However, review of the reports also revealed new Category 5 Turbidity
listings for Rocky River (AU 13-17a) and North Fork Crooked Creek (AU 13-17-20-1). New
TMDLs may be triggered in the future as a result of these new listings.

No new TMDLs have been developed for Mecklenburg County since 2014; therefore, all
Mecklenburg County TMDLs have been in effect more than 36 months. Based on the
requirements contained in Section H of NPDES Permit Number NCS000395, the following must
be completed for compliance with the permit requirements for the TMDL watersheds:
• Within 12 months of the final approval of a TMDL, the permittee’s annual reports shall
include a description of existing programs, controls, partnerships, projects, and strategies
(herein referred to as BMPs) to address impaired waters and a brief explanation as to how
these BMPs function to restore water quality.
• Within 24 months of the final approval of a TMDL, the permittee’s annual reports shall
include an assessment of whether additional BMPs are necessary to address impaired
waters and a brief explanation as to how these BMPs function to restore water quality.
• Within 36 months of the final approval of a TMDL, the permittee’s annual reports shall
include a description of additional TMDL compliance activities expected to occur,
including a schedule for implementation.
The purpose of the annual report contained herein is to describe how the above described permit
requirements have been satisfied for the approved TMDLs applicable to Mecklenburg County’s
2

Phase II jurisdictions as described in Table 1. Figure 1 shows the locations of these receiving
waters in relation to the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County. Several of
the TMDL watersheds include both Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions and CMSWS performs the
activities for compliance with TMDLs countywide for all jurisdictions; therefore, where data is
available the tables below include information regarding TMDL compliance activities in both the
Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions although Mecklenburg County’s responsibility is only for
Phase II as described above.

Table 1: Approved TMDLs for Mecklenburg County’s Phase I and Phase II Jurisdictions
AU Name AU
Number Class TMDL
Pollutant
IR
Category
EPA
Approved
MS4
WLA?
Lead
Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 11-137-1 C
DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 4t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Long Creek 11-120-(0.5) C Turbidity 4t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Long Creek 11-120-(2.5) WS-IV Turbidity 4t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Little Sugar 11-137-8a C DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Little Sugar 11-137-8b C DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Little Sugar 11-137-8c C
DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 1t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9a

C

DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 1t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9b C
DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 1t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9c

C

DO 1t 2/5/96 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 1t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McAlpine
Creek 11-137-9d

C

DO 1t 2/5/1996 No Charlotte
Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 1t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Sugar Creek 11-137b C Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 4t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
Sugar Creek 11-137c C Fecal Coliform 4t 3/28/2002 No Charlotte
Turbidity 4t 2/8/2005 Yes Charlotte
McKee Creek 13-17-8-4 C Fecal Coliform 4t 8/1/2003 Yes Charlotte
Rocky River 13-17a C Fecal Coliform 4t 9/19/2002 Yes Mecklenburg
Steele Creek 11-137-10 C Fecal Coliform SC TMDL 5/2007 Yes Charlotte
Lake Wylie 11-122 C Chlorophyll-a 1t 2/5/1996 No Mecklenburg
Lake Wylie 11-(123.5)a C Chlorophyll-a 1t 2/5/1996 No Mecklenburg
3

AU Name AU
Number Class TMDL
Pollutant
IR
Category
EPA
Approved
MS4
WLA?
Lead
Jurisdiction
Goose Creek 13-17-18a C Fecal Coliform 1 7/8/2005 Yes Mecklenburg
Goose Creek 13-17-18b C Fecal Coliform 1 7/8/2005 Yes Mecklenburg
Integrated Reporting (IR) Category Description (applicable to table above):
• 1: Parameter is meeting criteria.
• 1t: Parameter is meeting criteria and there is an approved TMDL in place for that parameter.
The TMDL remains in place to ensure that criteria are maintained.
• 4t: Parameter exceeded criteria and there is an approved TMDL in place for that parameter.
4

Figure 1: Waters of Mecklenburg County with Approved TMDLs

5

Section 2: Assessment of Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan

This Section discusses each of the BMPs and their Measurable Goals for reducing non-point
source pollutant loading to the receiving streams of TMDL watersheds to the maximum extent
practicable as described in the Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan (SWQMPP),
including implementation status and documentation of those activities completed during
FY2021. Tables 3 through 18 describe the activities completed in FY2021 for compliance with
TMDLs. Where applicable, compliance activities are described for both the Phase I and Phase II
jurisdictions for informational purposes since several of the TMDL watersheds include both
jurisdictions. However, Mecklenburg County is only responsible for Phase II Permit compliance
for the TMDLs developed for Goose Creek, Rocky River and Lake Wylie. Tables 3 through 18
also include compliance activities performed in the McDowell Creek watershed where applicable
even though a watershed management plan, not a TMDL, applies (Category 4B).

2.1 BMPs and Associated Measurable Goals

During FY2021, all the BMPs and measurable goals identified in Phase II Permit NCS000395
and the associated SWQMPP were effectively fulfilled as described in Table 2. The table also
provides the Activity Report number from the County’s Cityworks database that includes
documentation of the work completed for each BMP. The subsections following Table 2
describe the existing programs, controls, partnerships, projects, and strategies to address
impaired waters (herein referred to as BMPs) and a brief explanation as to how these BMPs
address impaired waters. These subsections also describe the specific activities completed in
FY2021 through the implementation of these BMPs and whether they will be continued in
FY2022 based on an assessment of their effectiveness. Section 3 provides a further assessment
of current BMP effectiveness based on an analysis of applicable monitoring data. Section 4
provides a description of additional BMPs implemented in FY2021, as well as those planned for
implementation in FY2022 along with an implementation timeline, and a brief explanation as to
how these additional BMPs will address impaired waters.

Table 2: BMP Summary Table for Impaired Waters with TMDLs
# BMP Measurable Goals Schedule (years) Responsible
Staff
Measurable
Goal Met
Activity
Report # 1 2 3 4 5
IW-1 Evaluate
Impaired
Waters
Evaluate the current 305(b)
report and 303(d) list for
N.C. and identify those
impaired waters with an
approved TMDL that are the
responsibility of the Phase II
jurisdictions.
X X X X X Timothy
Besier
YES 51505
IW-2 Develop
and
Implement
BMPs
Develop and implement
appropriate structural and/or
non-structural BMPs to
reduce nonpoint source
pollutant loading to the
MEP in the TMDL
watersheds. Within 12
months of the final approval
of a TMDL, an annual
X X X X X Timothy
Besier,

Iva Barnes,

Dustin
Moffit,

Ryan Spidel
YES 56232
6

# BMP Measurable Goals Schedule (years) Responsible
Staff
Measurable
Goal Met
Activity
Report # 1 2 3 4 5
report shall include a
description of existing
BMPs to address impaired
waters and a brief
explanation as to how these
BMPs will function to
restore water quality.
IW-4 Assess,
Report
and
Modify
BMPs
Assess the effectiveness of
existing BMPs and identify
and implement additional
measures as necessary to
address impaired waters to
the MEP. Incorporate
additional measures into the
Storm Water Plan and
annual Work Plan for
implementation. Submit to
the State an annual report
summarizing assessment
results, identifying
additional BMPs as
necessary, and providing a
brief explanation as to how
these BMPs will function to
restore water quality.
Include in the annual report
a schedule for
implementation of BMPs.
X X X X X Timothy
Besier

YES 56241

2.2 Description of Existing BMPs and Their Effectiveness

The primary pollutants of concern for the TMDL watersheds where Mecklenburg County is the
lead, including Goose Creek, Rocky River and Lake Wylie, are fecal coliform bacteria and
nutrients (see Table 1). CMSWS has reviewed existing BMPs to address impaired waters and
has identified those described in the following subsections as suitable for best addressing the
TMDL pollutants of concern and will therefore be continued in FY2022. Details regarding BMP
implementation are provided in the SWQMPP.

2.2.1 Public Education & Outreach (Section 3 of SWQMPP)

The following existing public education and outreach activities have been identified as suitable
for addressing the pollutants of concern in the TMDL watersheds. These BMPs will address
impaired waters by informing the community of the impacts of the pollutants of concern on
water bodies and the steps that the public can take to reduce these pollutants. During FY2021,
these BMPs were effectively implemented in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in
Mecklenburg County.
1. Utility Bill Inserts
2. Brochures, Environmental Notices and Newsletters
3. Print Ads
7

4. Media Campaign
5. Social Media
6. Workshops and Video Taped Messages
7. Web Pages
8. Educational Presentations and Public Events
9. Storm Water Helpline

The following specific public education and outreach activities were completed by CMSWS in
the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions that will reduce discharges of pollutants of concern in the
TMDL watersheds.

During FY2021, CMSWS’s pollution prevention education included the distribution of
educational materials by staff when conducting inspections and responding to citizen requests for
service. Additionally, all town halls within the Phase II jurisdiction, as well as all town libraries
(except Pineville), were supplied with residential pollution prevention brochures. The following
handouts/brochures/pamphlets are available to staff for distribution:
• A Guide to Used Oil Recycling
• Scoop the Poop (proper handling of pet waste)-Updated postcard in FY20
• What Goes In Here Ends Up Here – postcard regarding neighborhood trash pollution
• Only Rain Goes Down The Storm Drain – The Citizen’s Guide to Pollution
Prevention
• Volunteer Opportunities
• A Brief Look at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services – Your Storm Water
Fees at Work
• Grease Free (proper disposal of grease from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities)
• Household Hazardous Waste – What do you do with left over chemicals
• Environmental Notices for Homeowners– Disposal into the storm drain is against the
law (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean)
• Environmental Notices for Businesses– Disposal into the storm drain is against the
law (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean)
• Water Watchers door hanger
• Household Hazardous Waste slider
• Dispose of Leaves Properly postcard
• Water Quality Buffers postcard
• When Surface Waters Turn Colors (Pollen, Tannin, Iron Bacteria)
• Automotive Facilities Pollution Prevention Poster (English and Spanish)
• Clean Boating Practices
• Fish Consumption Advisory
• Invasive, Exotic Plants
• NC Division of Natural Resources Fact Sheets:
o Iron Bacteria
o Surface Film
o Water Foam
• Non-Structural Best Management Practices Handout
o Mobile Detailer
o Landscapers
8

o Painters
o Contractors
o Carpet Cleaners -Updated to Indoor Cleaning in FY20 (English and Spanish)
o Vehicle Service
o Food Service -Updated in FY19 (Chinese, English, and Spanish)
o Multi-Family Complexes
o Stone Cutting & Fabrication Industry
o Concrete Industry
o Commercial Property Management
o Asphalt Sealing- Created FY2021
o Pool & Spa Maintenance -Updated in FY20 (English and Spanish)
o Horizontal Directional Drilling
o Breweries -Created in FY20
o Equipment Repair
o Pressure Washers – update FY2021
o Rooftop Workers
o Realtors
o Well Drillers – Created in FY2021
• Structural Best Management Practices Handout
o Dry Detention
o Rain Garden
o Sand Filter
o Stormwater Wetland
o Wet Ponds

Additionally, the following promotional items are available for distribution at events:
• Hand Sanitizer
• Lip Balm
• Ink Pens
• Temporary Stormy Tattoos
• Stormy Stickers
• Magnets
• “Scoop the Poop” bag dispenser w/flashlight
• Stormy Plush
• Color changing cups
• Sunscreen
• Flashlights
• Keychains
• Lunch boxes
• Umbrellas
• Water Bottles
• Rain Gauges
• Grocery bags
• Whistles
• Golf/boat towels
9

During FY2021, educational newsletters were developed and disseminated to the Phase II co-
permittees covering the targeted pollutants described above. These newsletters focused on the
actions the public should take to reduce pollution, including participating in volunteer programs,
and reporting suspected pollution problems. The @StormWaterCM social media accounts
(Facebook, Twitter & Instagram) were used as the main method to help disseminate messages to
the Towns. Phase II social media contacts were responsible for sharing messages on the Towns’
or institutions’ social media accounts. Due to not using social media, Barbara Monticello with
the Town of Pineville was emailed messages to be included in the local town mailer. The topics
for Pineville this year included proper motor oil disposal, yard waste, sediment sources, fecal
coliform bacteria sources and the promotion of the tree seedling sale. In order to address
compliance with the Goose Creek TMDL, additional social media messages were created for the
Town of Mint Hill that focused on reducing bacteria levels in surface waters. Social media
messages are typically used to promote the sale of tree seedlings and rain barrels by the
Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation District. Additional water quality educations
topics were included with monthly emails to volunteers if space was available.

In November 2020, over 3,000 teachers were emailed information on the educational programs
CMSWS offers to school age children. Four new flyers were created to promote school
educational offering for various age groups. This information was imbedded into an email and
sent to science teachers with all grade levels. Programs offered include activities on pollution
prevention, the history of water usage and pollution of drinking water sources in Mecklenburg
County, a demonstration of the Enviroscape model, A Day in the Life of Water Quality Staff,
and a macroinvertebrate identification lesson. An additional email was sent out to teachers again
when COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. CMSWS adapted many of our education
programs to be able to be done by staff “virtually” visiting the class on their digital classroom
platform. Advertisements for promoting this educational effort included an informational sheet
detailing the program offerings and was again imbedded into an email and sent to our teacher
list. As a result, 8 school presentations were given in the Phase II jur isdiction to 200 students as
follows:

• 2/22/21, Pineville Elementary – 5th Grade, Ecosystems, 24 students
• 2/22/21, Pineville Elementary – 2nd Grade, Water Cycle, 18 students
• 3/1/21, Pineville Elementary – 2nd Grade, Water Cycle, 28 students
• 3/4/21, Pineville Elementary – 5th Grade, Ecosystems, 21 students
• 3/11/21, Pineville Elementary – 5th Grade, Ecosystemes, 11 students
• 3/11/21, Pineville Elementary, 2nd Grade, Water Cycle, 24 students
• 3/31/21, Long Creek Elementary, 3rd Grade, Enviroscape, 35 students
• 3/31/21, Long Creek Elementary, 3rd Grade, Enviroscape, 39 students

School presentations were also performed in the Phase I jurisdiction. Table 3 describes the
school presentations conducted in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL jurisdictions in Charlotte-
Mecklenburg during FY2021.

10

Table 3: School Presentations Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed # of School Presentations # of Students
Phase I Jurisdictions
Irwin Creek 2 16
Lake Wylie 3 221
Little Sugar Creek 4 121
Long Creek 2 148
McAlpine Creek 4 141
Sugar Creek 6 215
Phase II Jurisdictions
Little Sugar Creek 6 126
Totals 27 988

In addition to school presentations, CMSWS conducted 38 public presentations (mostly virtual)
described in Table 2 and attended 3 events (virtually) described in Table 3. During FY2021, a
special outreach campaign focusing on reducing bacteria level in our streams was again utilized.
The campaign was called “Scoop the Poop.” The campaign included Social Media Posts and
videos, a website banner and additional website information including a story map, vehicle
magnets, and a flagging campaign in North Mecklenburg Park in Huntersville, where at select
locations piles of animal waste not picked up by owners were “flagged” with a sign that
identified harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in the waste. During FY2021,
informational pages covering a wide variety of topics were maintained on the Storm Water
Services website, including current water quality conditions, storm water pollutants and ways t o
minimize them, reporting pollution, volunteering, municipal storm water projects/activities, etc.
These web pages also provide a means to register for various volunteer initiatives. The targeted
pollutants on the pollution prevention pages include: bacteria and pet waste, turbidity, and
sediment, as well as phosphorus, nitrogen, organics, fertilizers, pestici des, yard waste,
surfactants, hydrocarbons, pH, and toxic compounds. The targeted audiences include residential,
and commercial and institutional. The general messages promoted on the web pages are street to
stream, only rain should go down the storm drain, and be a Water Watcher/Volunteer. The web
pages also provide contacts for reporting pollution problems/concerns and submitting questions
to staff. During FY2021, Google Analytics showed CMSWS’s web pages had 417,437 page
views and 176,924 unique pageviews, which is an increase from the 350,886 page views in
FY2020. The pages most often visited other than the homepage were the Floodplains and Maps,
and the Storm Water Design Manual. For Industrial/ Commercial Education, a new Well
Drilling BMP sheet was created and the Pressure Washing BMP sheet was updated. CMSWS
staff updated the handouts, developed a list of current businesses in the county, and drafted a
cover letter. The handouts and letters were completed in English and Spanish. The finalized
letters were signed by Marc Recktenwald of Charlotte Storm Water Services and Rusty Rozzelle
of Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services. The final mailing list identified 112 well drillers
and 628 pressure washers. Utility bill inserts were sent to over 200,000 Charlotte Water
customers in July, October, January, and April related to water quality and pollution prevention.
Educational mailing were sent to over 4,000 churches, multi-family complex properties and large
parking lot owners to educate them regarding new coal tar sealant regulations and associated
environmental impacts.
11

Table 4: Presentations Conducted in FY2021
Date Group
Name/Audience
# of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
2/23/2021 Local Elected Officials 150 WQ Protection and regulatory
requirements
3/9/2021 Cub Scout Pack 39 Enviroscape - Water Conservation
10/13/2020 Regional Stormwater
Partnership of the
Carolinas
150 Economical Flood Sensor Deployment
for Flood Monitoring and Response
11/6/2020 Stormwater
Professionals and
Engineers - DHS S&T
Research Review Board
20 Mecklenburg County Flood Risk
Assessment/Risk Reduction Tool
10/29/2020 Engineering Students -
Western New England
University
25 Mecklenburg County Goal Driven
Capital Improvement Program
7/16/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 County Storm Water Services-
Mecklenburg County Environmental
Leadership Policy; FY 22 County
Storm Water Budget
7/16/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) –
Update on Risk Assessment & Rick
Reduction Plan Enhancements and
Long-Term Goal
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 County Storm Water Services - Endorse
FY20 SWAC Annual Report and
support staff request to submit this
report to the Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 County Storm Water Services- County
Storm Water Services - Review and
Approve retroFIT Grant Budget
Amendment for Structure Demolition /
Elevation at 2011 Lake
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 City Storm Water Services – City
Program Overview
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
12 City Storm Water Services - City
Strategic Planning Process
12

Date Group
Name/Audience
# of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
General Public, and
Elected Officials
8/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 City Storm Water Services - City
Program Briefings
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
15 City Storm Water Services - City
Strategic Planning Process with the
City’s consultant, Raftelis Financial
Consultants, Inc
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
15 County Storm Water Services - Receive
as information an update on the
County’s FY22 Budget
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
15 City Storm Water Services - City
Program Briefings receive as
information on the City’s program and
services
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
15 County Storm Water Services- Review
and approve retroFIT grant application,
Structure elevation at 1613 and 1727
Lake Drive
9/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
15 County Storm Water Services –
Receive as information Capital
Improvement Program update
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
13 Program for Public Information (PPI)
Annual Update
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
13 Quick Buy & retroFIT 2019
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
13 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water
Services (CMSWS) – City Program
Briefings
13

Date Group
Name/Audience
# of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
10/20/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
13 Mecklenburg County Environmental
Leadership Policy
11/19/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 City Program Briefings – City
Financials and Budget
11/19/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
12 Receive as information an update on the
County Storm Water’s proposed
exchange of land on Cullman Ave;
Receive as information an update on the
County’s FY22 Budget
12/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
7 Receive a briefing on the flooding that
occurred on November 12, 2020
12/17/2020 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
7 Receive information on the City’s
program and services. This segment is
focused on Land Development
Regulatory Services
1/7/2021 Charlotte Water staff 50 History of Catawba River
1/21/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
3 City staff will update the committee on
Fiscal Year 2022 budget development
1/21/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
3 County Storm Water Receive as
information an update on the County’s
FY22 Budget
2/9/2021 BOCC Environmental
Stewardship Committee
30 LUESA Stream Miles Suitable Report
2/18/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
General Public, and
Elected Officials
5 Endorse County Storm Water’s FY22
proposed Budget
2/18/2021 Storm Water Advisory
Committee, Staff,
5 City Financials and Budget Update
14

Date Group
Name/Audience
# of
Participants Presentation Title/Topic
General Public, and
Elected Officials
2/18/2021 Catawba Wateree Water
Management Group-
Citizen's Water
Academy
100 History of Catawba River
2/23/2021 Regional Stormwater
Partnership of Carolinas
150 Overview of Stormwater Regulations
2/25/2021 Catawba Wateree Water
Management Group-
Citizen's Water
Academy
50 Overview of Stormwater Regulations
4/22/2021 National Monitoring
Conference
49 Continuous Monitoring and Alert
Notification Network: A Tool for
Detecting and Notifying Agencies of
Water Quality Hazards
5/11/2021 Gaston County
Commission
50 Enhanced Protection of our drinking
water supply reservoirs
5/11/2021 Association of State
Floodplain Mgrs
250 Joint WQ/Flood Mitigation Goal Driven
CIP Program
6/22/2021 Historic West End
Communities
67 311 Having a Voice Workshop
Total 1,445

Table 5: Events Attended in FY2021
Date Event Name Estimated # of
Citizens Contacted Materials Displayed
10/27/2020 UNCC Virtual
Volunteer Fair
virtual n/a - virtual
10/24/2020 Ties and Tails Gala virtual n/a - virtual
4/22/2021 Ballantyne Earth Day virtual n/a - virtual
Total n/a

During FY2021, CMSWS retained Saturday Brands for creative design and The Agency
Marketing Group for media buying. CMSWS staff and staff from The Agency Marketing Group
and Saturday Brands meet monthly to discuss the budget and the media campaign direction. A
water quality and volunteer strategic marketing/advertising strategies were created which
15

outlines the creative and media plans for FY2021. The three focuses of the media campaign are,
Reporting Pollution, Volunteering, and Flood Safety. Additionally, there is a City of Charlotte
only campaign on Infrastructure. The media campaign was also used to promote the 311
helplines for reporting suspected pollution problems.

The campaign included a media buy that utilized the following routes of exposure:

TRADITIONAL MEDIA – Broadcast Television, Radio, Billboards & Print

Traditional media is measured using the following:
• Impressions – An impression is the number of individuals that have seen and/or
heard the ad at least once.
• Reach – Indicated as a percentage of the total audience chosen. Ex: all persons
25 to 54 years of age, or all persons 18 year of age or older.
• Frequency – The average number of times an individual has seen or heard the ad
during a specific time frame or campaign flight.

Broadcast Television – CMSWS used WCNC, located within the Charlotte designated
media area (DMA) to promote Storm Water messaging. WCNC is viewed by 72% of the
Adults in the Charlotte DMA each week. The DMA includes 13 counties surrounding
Mecklenburg with Mecklenburg accounting for just over half of the viewership.
CMSWS used WCNC weather integration with “Walk and Talks” with Brad Panovich to
discuss local creeks and discuss local storm water issues.

Radio – The buy included Beasley Radio (WPEG and WBAV) and Latina 102.1 to target
African American and Hispanic listeners to promote water quality initiatives, and
volunteer programs and educate about flood safety.

Billboards – Outdoor Advertising was used in the form of large banners and placed on
CATS Busses and Light Rail. This is a broad-based outreach medium that reaches all age
groups and all demographics. The ads runs continually throughout the year until the
placement is bought out.

Print – The only print media used this year were the Utility Bill Inserts (UBI) that are
included in the Charlotte Water bill. A schedule of the UBI and the message topics
(Attachment G) we agreed on by the team and planned around scheduled events,
including Hurricane Season, The Big Spring Clean, Infrastructure Week, etc.

DIGITAL MARKETING – On-line Digital Display, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns,
Charlotte Agenda Promotions, Charlotte Five Articles and Data Fusion.

Digital Marketing is measured using the following:
• Targeted Impressions – An impression targeted to a specific audience
characteristic, such as age, gender, interests, etc. Of the targeted individuals, this
counts the number of individuals that have seen and/or heard the ad at least once.
16

• Interaction/Clicks – The number of people that have clicked on an ad or word
phrase bringing them to your website or landing page.

Digital Display – Digital display advertising is graphic advertising on websites and apps
through banners made of text and images. The main purpose of display advertising is to
deliver general advertisements and brand messages to site visitors. Our online display ads
are visible and clickable on a variety of websites within the targeted geography of
Mecklenburg County. These sites are monitored to assure they are legitimate and
appropriate for everyone.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)- PPC is an online advertising model in which advertisers pay each
time a user clicks on one of their paid search ads using Google.com. We strategically bid
on short keywords and longer tail keyword phrases and when those terms are searched,
our results show up at the top of the Google Search results. Our ads click through to a
designated website or landing page.
Charlotte Agenda – CharlotteAgenda.com is a very popular website for Charlotte news
and things to do in and around Charlotte. We purchase a monthly calendar event on the
site for Second Saturday Volunteer Events. The promotion starts on Thursdays prior to
the second Saturday event.

Charlotte Five Articles – CharlotteFive is a part of The Charlotte Observer that is
similar to Charlotte Agenda. CharlotteFive is a very popular website, daily email and
social media platform. We partner with CharlotteFive to have specific articles written by
the editors. The articles are 300 to 500 words with two or three pictures.

Data Fusion – Data Fusion Marketing uses an audience-based campaign across
Connected Television, Display and Video targeted at the household level to promote
messaging of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services. It uses OTT (Over the Top)
television that is streamed digitally through services such as Hulu, Roku or any other
streaming service. This digital approach is geo-targeted to Mecklenburg County and
individual behaviors and actions rather than just a broad-based outreach approach.

SOCIAL MEDIA – Facebook and Instagram.

Social Media is measured using the following:
• Impressions – An impression is the number of individuals that have seen and/or
heard the ad at least once.
• Reach – The number of people “Stopped” or paused on an ad or post in a social
media feed.
• Engagements - An engagement is when a person, likes, comments or shares a
social media ad or post.
• Clicks- The number of times a person clicks on our ads to be taken to a page of
the website or landing page.

17

Facebook – We used Facebook advertising as we've seen great success on the platform
in the past. Facebook events have helped us to build a community of active volunteers.
Boosted posts also remain a great way to increase engagement for both our current fans
and beyond. In addition, Facebook's retargeting and lookalike capabilities have been
instrumental in keeping interested citizens engaged with us and also reaching new
audiences. Facebook’s lookalike audience targeting allows us to make a mirror audience
of our current Facebook fans and target them with content.

Instagram – Instagram is an affordable advertising option with great targeting
capabilities. It's not only a great way to expand our reach to young people (high
schoolers, college students, and recent grads), there is also a growing presence of older
audiences, 59% of internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 use Instagram and 33%
of internet users between the ages of 30 and 49 use Instagram. As the platform continues
to expand. Both "in feed" and "stories" ads are a great way to drive traffic to our website.

Sprout Social is an online social media platform used for the posting, responding to comments,
and data tracking of multiple social channels. This was purchased in July 2019 to help with
social media posting and management, which was a responsibility that was pulled from outside
vendors and brought in house starting in FY2020 due to policy changes

A Public Opinion Survey was conducted in March, April & May of 2021. The purpose of the
survey is to measure how successful the ad campaign is at reaching the general public and where
strategic plans may need to change for the following years. There were a few notable results, one
is that about 75% of survey respondents recognize that “Water that flows into storm drains
typically goes directly to local creeks, ponds, and lakes” which is positive in making the street to
stream water quality connection, but still realizing that we have room for improvement. The
survey also showed that about 40% of people surveyed were able to recall seeing or hearing
something in the past 12 months about CMSWS, and the most frequent place was in the
mail/utility bill insert.

The results of CMSWS’s Water Quality, Volunteer, Flood, and Infrastructure media campaigns
for FY2021 are summarized below.

Social Media
• Impressions: 3,064,262
• Reach: 1,117,788
• Engagements: 519,708
• Post Link Clicks: 83,586
•
PPC, Display & Data Fusion
• Impressions 3,448,030
• Clicks 3,198
• Click Through Rate (CTR) 0.18%

Charlotte Five
• Impressions: 8,450
18

Charlotte Agenda
• Impressions: 15,100

Broadcast Television
• Impressions: 2,930,665
• Reach: 58%
• Frequency: 5.4

Radio
• Impressions: 1,229,400
• Reach: 61%
• Frequency: 2.9

During FY2021, the BMPs implemented for the Public Education and Outreach Program were
evaluated and found to be effective at reducing non-point source pollutant loading to the
receiving streams of TMDL watersheds to the maximum extent practicable fulfilling the
requirements of the Phase II Permit and SWQMPP. Therefore, these BMPs will continue to be
used in FY2022 to comply with TMDL requirements.

2.2.2 Public Involvement and Participation (Section 4 of SWQMPP)

The following existing public involvement and participation activities have been identified as
suitable for addressing the pollutants of concern in the TMDL watersheds. These BMPs will
address impaired waters by involving the public in program development and implementation to
reduce the pollutants of concern.
1. Adopt-A-Stream
2. Storm Drain Marking
3. Annual Surface Water Clean Up Event (The Big Spring Clean)

During FY2021, Adopt-A-Stream and Storm Drain Marking were effectively implemented in the
Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County. However, The Big Spring Clean event
was unable to be held due to COVID-19 restrictions. The event was scheduled to be held on
March 27, 2020. However, it was decided in February 2021 that the event would not be held.
This was due in part to a directive by the Mecklenburg County Public Health Director, which
was initiated from January 14-February 28, to not hold group gatherings. During this time, all
CMSWS volunteer programs were suspended to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Adopt-A-Stream – During FY2021, 151 groups that included a total of 2,405 volunteers donated
6,032 hours toward the completion of 198 stream cleanups resulting in the removal of 58,524
pounds of trash and debris from 187.5 miles of streams in Mecklenburg County’s Phase I and II
jurisdictions. The breakdown of miles of streams cleaned up in each jurisdiction is as follows:
• Charlotte: 115.75 miles
• Davidson: 0.21 miles
• Huntersville: 9.09 miles
• Matthews: 8.78 miles
19

• Mecklenburg County: 48.22 miles
• Pineville: 3.42 miles

The names of the stream segments cleaned up are Back Creek, Blankmanship Branch, Briar
Creek, Campbell Creek, Clarks Creek, Clems Branch, Coffey Creek, Dairy Branch, Duck Creek,
Edwards Branch, Flat Branch, Four Mile Creek, Gar Creek, Irvins Creek, Irwin Creek, Kings
Branch, Little Hope Creek, Little Sugar Creek, Mallard Creek, McAlpine Creek, McDowell
Creek, McKee Creek, McMullen Creek, Ramsey Creek, Rocky Branch, Rocky River West
Branch, Roosevelt Wilson Park Pond, Six Mile Creek, Steele Creek, Stewart Creek, Sugar
Creek, Taggart Creek, Toby Creek, Torrence Creek and Walker Branch, as well as the Catawba
River. A total of 145.83 stream miles are adopted in Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions. These
efforts were completed under the County’s Adopt-A-Stream Program. All data and information
regarding these cleanups are available in the County’s Volunteer Database.
Table 6 describes the Adopt-A-Stream activities conducted in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL
watersheds in Charlotte-Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 6: Adopt-A-Stream Activities Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed # Stream Miles
Cleaned
Lbs. Trash/Debris
Removed
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 17.08 11,779
Little Sugar Creek 48.95 25,246
McAlpine Creek 25.86 4,905
Steele Creek 0.35 900
Sugar Creek 8.99 2,999
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek 2.18 132
Little Sugar Creek 3.42 300
McAlpine Creek 8.78 425
McDowell Creek 9.09 855
McKee Creek 1 200
Rocky River 2 110
Steele Creek 1.78 165
Totals 129.48 48,016

Storm Drain Marking – During FY2021, four groups and eight CMSWS events totaled 105
volunteers donating 222 hours toward marking 1,286 storm drains in Mecklenburg County’s
Phase II jurisdictions. All data and information regarding the storm drain marking activities was
input into the County’s Volunteer Database. The breakdown by jurisdiction is as follows:
• Cornelius: 1 event, 4 volunteers, 8 hours, 80 markers
• Davidson: 2 groups, 1 event, 9 volunteers, 26 hours, 251 markers
20

• Huntersville: 1 group, 3 events, 36 volunteers, 80 hours, 406 markers
• Matthews: 1 group, 24 volunteers, 28 hours, 113 markers
• Mint Hill: 3 event, 32 volunteers, 80 hours, 436 markers

During FY2021, there was an increase in overall storm drain marking in the Phase II areas. This
was primarily due to several events held by CMSWS in these areas.

Storm Drain Marking activities are also performed in the Phase I jurisdiction. Table 7 describes
the Storm Drain Marking activities conducted in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL watersheds in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 7: Storm Drain Marking Activities Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed # Storm Drains
Marked
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 261
Little Sugar Creek 85
Long Creek 95
McAlpine Creek 37
Steele Creek 55
Sugar Creek 53
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek 95
Irwin Creek 74
Long Creek 30
McAlpine Creek 89
McDowell Creek 468
Rocky River 184
Totals 1,526

Annual Surface Water Clean Up Event - The annual surface water cleanup referred to as the
“The Big Spring Clean” was not held due to COVID-19 restrictions. The event was scheduled to
be held on March 27, 2020. However, it was decided in February 202 that the event would not be
held. This was due in part to a directive by the Mecklenburg County Public Health Director,
which was initiated from January 14-February 28, to not hold group gatherings. During this
time, all CMSWS volunteer programs were suspended to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Table 8 indicated that no Big Spring Clean activities were conducted in the Phase I and Phase II
TMDL watersheds in Charlotte-Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 8: The Big Spring Clean Activities Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed Site Name # Miles Cleaned Lbs. Trash Removed
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 0 0 0
Lake Wylie 0 0 0
21

TMDL Watershed Site Name # Miles Cleaned Lbs. Trash Removed
Little Sugar Creek 0 0 0
Long Creek 0 0 0
McAlpine Creek 0 0 0
McKee Creek 0 0 0
Steele Creek 0 0 0
Sugar Creek 0 0 0
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek 0 0 0
Lake Wylie 0 0 0
Little Sugar Creek 0 0 0
Long Creek 0 0 0
McAlpine Creek 0 0 0
McDowell Creek 0 0 0
Rocky River 0 0 0
Sugar Creek 0 0 0
Totals 0 0 0

Volunteer Appreciation - In FY2021, there was no set event for volunteer appreciation due to the
growing volunteer numbers and limited budget. Instead, volunteers were recognized in monthly
emails, social media posts, and by being given appreciation certificates, stickers, magnets and t-
shirts. Of the twelve monthly volunteer emails sent out during FY2021, ten of them featured a
“Volunteer Spotlight”. There was no spotlight in July due to volunteer activities being
suspended for COVID-19 precautions. The January newsletter featured volunteer groups of the
year. These groups all received a certificate, t-shirts, and a web story written about their
accomplishments. A total of 141 t-shirts, 553 magnets, and 500 stickers were given out to
groups and individuals. All volunteers were offered the appreciation magnet and sticker, as it
was included with their supplies or was displayed at the registration table at CMSWS-hosted
events. These forms of recognition allow CMSWS to show appreciation to more groups and
individuals throughout the year, as opposed to having an event that only a fraction of the
volunteers would be able to attend.

During FY2021, the BMPs implemented for the Public Involvement and Participation Program
were evaluated and found to be effective at reducing non-point source pollutant loading to the
receiving streams of TMDL watersheds to the maximum extent practicable fulfilling the
requirements of the Phase II Permit and SWQMPP. Therefore, these BMPs will continue to be
used in FY2022 to comply with TMDL requirements.

2.2.3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) (Section 5 of SWQMPP)

The following existing IDDE activities have been identified as suitable for addressing the
pollutants of concern in the TMDL watersheds. These BMPs will address impaired waters by
identifying and eliminating sources of the pollutants of concern. During FY2021, these BMPs
were effectively implemented in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County.
1. Storm Sewer System Mapping
22

2. Responding to Citizen Requests for Service
3. Enforcement of Pollution Control Ordinances
4. Conducting Facility Inspections
5. Performing Water Quality Monitoring Activities
6. Implementing the Illicit Discharge Elimination Program (IDEP)
7. Conducting Stream Walks & Dry Weather Flow Investigations

Storm Sewer System Mapping and Dry Weather Flow Investigations - ESRI Arc GIS is used to
identify new outfalls and track outfall inspections. In FY2021, written SOPs were reviewed,
updated as necessary and staff was trained in the use of a new GIS layer for performing outfall
inspections of existing features and to add new outfalls while performing inspections using the
mobile ESRI Arc GIS. During FY2021, 30 outfalls were inspected in the Phase II jurisdictions.
No illicit discharges or other sources of pollution were identified as a result of these inspections.
In addition, 892 new outfalls were added to the storm sewer inventory for Phase II
jurisdictions/entities. With these additional points, the total current inventory in Phase II
jurisdictions/entities is 8,707 outlets and 53,339 inlets. Data is available to staff through the
Cityworks database.

Responding to Citizen Requests for Service - During FY2021, staff responded to 120 service
requests regarding potential water quality problems in the Phase II jurisdictions. Twenty-five
(25) of these service requests were emergency responses. The most common type of service
requests involved the discharge and/or dumping of potential surface water/storm water
pollutants. The most common pollutants observed were:
• Sewage = 15
• Unknown = 14
• Petroleum Fuels = 11
• Other = 11

As a result of the 120 service requests responded to there were a total of 74 problems detected
and 32 problems corrected in Phase II jurisdictions during FY2021. Table 9 below provides data
regarding the number and type of service requests received by category in each of the Phase II
jurisdictions.

Table 9: Service Requests Responded to by Jurisdiction in FY2021
Jurisdiction
Number of Service Requests by Category Algae Bloom Accidental Spill Buffer Dumping Emergency Response Erosion Fish Kill Illicit Connection Monitoring Follow Up Natural Condition No Incident Identified Other Unknown Total Cornelius 1 3 0 5 4 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 2 22
Davidson 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 7
Huntersville 0 1 0 12 2 1 0 0 0 2 7 3 2 30
Matthews 0 3 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 7 1 2 25
Mint Hill 1 1 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 15
Pineville 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
Mecklenburg 0 1 0 5 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 16
Totals 2 17 0 38 16 3 1 0 0 8 25 7 2 120
23

Citizen requests for service are also responded to in the Phase I jurisdictions. Table 10 indicates
the number of service requests responded to and the number of inspections conducted in
response to these requests in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL watersheds in Charlotte-
Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 10: Service Requests and Inspections Conducted in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed # Service Requests # Inspections
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 71 150
Lake Wylie 11 11
Little Sugar Creek 156 255
Long Creek 30 52
McAlpine Creek 110 147
McKee Creek 2 1
Steele Creek 15 23
Sugar Creek 32 66
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek 7 12
Irwin Creek 2 2
Lake Wylie 17 21
Little Sugar Creek 3 5
Long Creek 6 11
McAlpine Creek 44 67
McDowell Creek 32 45
Rocky River 7 7
Steele Creek 1 0
Sugar Creek 3 4
Totals 549 875

Enforcement of Pollution Control Ordinances – During FY2021, Notice of Violation (NOV)
protocols, procedures and templates were reviewed and updated as needed. The applicable
ordinances, notice of violation and enforcement decision-making processes, and
penalty/enforcement guidance were also reviewed, and updated as needed. During FY2021, a
total of 24 written NOVs were issued in the Phase II jurisdictions as follows: Cornelius – 0;
Davidson – 3; Huntersville –6; Matthews – 3; Mecklenburg County – 6; Mint Hill – 3; and
Pineville – 3. The types of NOVs and/or the materials released were as follows: antifreeze – 1;
Concrete – 1; cooking oil/grease – 1; other - 2; paint – 3; petroleum fuels - 1; sewage – 11; wash
water – 1; wastewater – 3. All violations were corrected and remediated as necessary. One (1)
NOV with a civil penalty was issued for the illicit discharge of wastewater in Mecklenburg
county.

24

NOVs were also issued in the Phase I jurisdiction during FY2021. Table 11 indicates the
number of NOVs with and without penalties in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL watersheds in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg during FY2021. For Phase I, this number includes only Water Quality
NOVs and penalties. For Phase II, this number includes Water Quality and Erosion Control
NOVs and penalties.

Table 11: NOVs and Penalties Issued in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed NOV- No Penalty NOV - Penalty
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 6 1
Little Sugar Creek 4 1
Long Creek 2 0
McAlpine Creek 4 0
Steele Creek 1 0
Sugar Creek 2 0
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek 1 0
Lake Wylie 4 0
Little Sugar Creek 1 0
Long Creek 3 0
McAlpine Creek 2 0
McDowell Creek 4 0
Rocky River 1 0
Sugar Creek 1 0
Totals 36 2
(1) Includes both Water Quality and Erosion Control violations and penalties for the Phase II
jurisdictions.

Facility Inspections - During FY2021, 45 inspections were performed at privately owned and
operated facilities that have the potential to negatively impact storm water quality in both the
Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions resulting in the elimination of 5 illicit discharges. Table 12
indicates the type and number of facilities inspected, number of inspections conducted and
number of discharges eliminated in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL watersheds in Charlotte -
Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 12: Inspections Conducted at Private Facilities in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL
Watershed
Industrial Facilities Vehicle Maintenance
Facilities Machine Shops Discharges
Eliminated #
Facilities
#
Inspections
#
Facilities
#
Inspections
#
Facilities
#
Inspections
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 14 14 3 3 0 0 3
Lake Wylie 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
25

Little Sugar
Creek 6 6 12 12 0 0 2
Long Creek 3 3 0 0 0 0 0
McAlpine
Creek 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
Steele Creek 5 5 0 0 0 0 0
Sugar Creek 6 6 3 3 0 0 0
Phase II Jurisdictions
Long Creek 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
Sugar Creek 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 39 39 19 19 0 0 5

The Mecklenburg County Solid Waste website contains information about facilities that accept
used oil and household hazardous wastes (HHWs). The link is as follows:
https://www.mecknc.gov/LUESA/SolidWaste/Disposal-Recycling/Pages/Household-Hazardous-
Waste.aspx

Industrial monitoring was performed in the Phase I jurisdiction at only 8 industrial facilities in
the TMDL watersheds as indicated in Table 13.

Table 13: Industrial Monitoring in Phase I TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watersheds Totals
Little Sugar 3
Long Creek 1
McAlpine 1
Sugar Creek 3
Totals 8

Routine Water Quality Monitoring Activities - In FY2021 CMSWS conducted continuous
automated monitoring activities at 7 sites in the Phase II jurisdictions resulting in the collection of
254,173 QA/QC accepted data points (~83.9% data acceptance rate). All data collected was
evaluated for the identification of potential pollution problems and general water quality trends.
Current data can be observed on the following website: http://cmann.mecknc.gov. CMANN data
is used to help calculate the Stream Use Support Index (SUSI), which is a general indicator of
water quality conditions in our streams. This index was made available to the public on the website
as follows: http://stormwater.charmeck.org (select “Water Quality” at the top of the page). In
FY2021, CMSWS CMANN equipment did not observe or detect any pollution problems in the
Phase II jurisdictions.

CMANN monitoring is also conducted in the Phase I jurisdictions. Table 14 indicates the
number of CMANN water quality measurements in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL watersheds
in Charlotte-Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 14: CMANN Water Quality Measurements in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed CMANN Monitoring Site(s) # Oxygen Measurements # Turbidity
Measurements
Phase I Jurisdiction
26

TMDL Watershed CMANN Monitoring Site(s) # Oxygen Measurements # Turbidity
Measurements
Irwin Creek MC22A 7,414 5,996
Lake Wylie MC66 4,515 3,312
Little Sugar Creek MC29A1, MC30A, MC33,
MC49A, Mobile 1 70,422 54,798
Long Creek MC14A 6,053 5,016
McAlpine Creek MC38, MC40A, MC42, MC45 21,378 15,594
McKee Creek MY7B 5,999 6,360
Steele Creek MC47A 6,877 4,186
Sugar Creek MC25, MC27 15,250 11,756
Phase II Jurisdictions
Phase II
Phase I
Phase I
Goose Creek MY9 6,839 3,853
McDowell Creek MC4, MC5 13,857 10,809
Rocky River MY1B 3,761 1,958
Totals 162,365 123,638

During FY2021, Fixed Interval Monitoring was conducted monthly at 10 sites throughout the
Phase II jurisdictions. Half of the sites were sampled on the 2nd or 3rd Tuesday of every month
while the other half were collected on the 2nd or 3rd Thursday of every month. At each site,
samples were collected and analyzed for 16 water quality parameters as follows: ammonia-
nitrogen, fecal coliform bacteria, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite, total suspended solids,
total phosphorus, E. coli, turbidity, suspended sediment concentration, magnesium, calcium,
hardness, and copper (dissolved). Lead (dissolved), chromium (total), and zinc (dissolved) were
collected in the first month of each quarter. During the year, there were 79 baseflow watch level
exceedances and 50 action level exceedances in Phase II jurisdictions. Ongoing greenway and
roadway construction continue to occur upstream of site MC40C resulting in increased instream
sedimentation and the associated pollutants. Exceedances of copper and total phosphorus at
MY10 have been attributed to a permitted discharge at Metrolina Greenhouses which is located
upstream of this monitoring site. Staff are working with NCDEQ as a means of reducing
pollutant load originating from this facility. Exceedances of total phosphorus at MY14 are
associated with a package wastewater treatment facility in the watershed. Table 15 identifies the
Baseflow Action and Watch level exceedances identified through Fixed Interval Monitoring
performed in the Phase II jurisdictions during FY2021.

Table 15: Baseflow Exceedances in TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed Site Exceedances Discharges
Eliminated
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek MC22A 3 0
Lake Wylie MC66 3 0
Little Sugar Creek MC49A, MC29A1, MC33, MC30A 27 0
27

TMDL Watershed Site Exceedances Discharges
Eliminated
Long Creek MC14A 4 0
McAlpine Creek MC45B, MC45, MC42, MC40A, MC38 30 0
McKee Creek MY7B 13 0
Steele Creek MC47A 10 0
Sugar Creek MC27, MC25 12 0
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek MY9, MY14 31 0
McDowell Creek MC2, MC4, 25 0
Rocky River MY1B 13 0
McAlpine Creek MC36, MC40C 20 0
Totals 191 0

Illicit Discharge Elimination Program (IDEP) – The purpose of the Illicit Discharge Elimination
Program (IDEP) program, formerly known as ISIS, is to support and enhance Illicit Discharge
Detection and Elimination (IDDE) efforts in Mecklenburg County. The identification of
pollution sources is accomplished by qualitative and quantitative measurements. Such measures
include field investigations, monitoring storm water outfalls, business corridor inspections,
multi-family private sewer system inspections, and inspection of all outfalls that drain directly to
Mecklenburg County’s three reservoirs. During FY2021, six business corridor runs were
completed in Phase II jurisdictions and five storm water outfalls were inspected under IDEP.
One Notice of Violation was issued in Phase II during FY2021 for the illicit discharge of
cooking grease to the ground. Additionally, six industrial facilities were inspected under IDEP in
Phase II during FY2021. All the inspected industrial facilities were observed to be within
compliance with the Mecklenburg County Surface Water Pollution Control Ordinance. No
NOVs were issued under the Phase II Permit jurisdiction in FY2021.

Stream Walks – During FY2021, the Phase II stream walk program was coordinated in
conjunction with the Phase I program for the City of Charlotte. Policies and procedures for this
program were reviewed and were concluded to be in good standing. Miles walked in the
extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) within Phase I six-mile basins were counted towards the Phase
II program. Staff training was performed on October 21, 2020. Stream walks began on
November 1, 2020 and concluded on April 20, 2021. Staff walked approximately 74.84 stream
miles in the Phase II areas in FY2021. In all, there were 69 points or features, 77 outfalls
inspected, 52 new outfalls, and no DWF samples collected. There were 10 DWFs found, but the
flows were too low to collect a sample from. Six (6) significant problems and two (2) stream
blockages were identified and reported to Mecklenburg-County Storm Water Services. Staff
also identified two (2) potential stream buffer violations, one (1) instance of severe bank erosion,
and one (1) new wetland area. A new feature class was added this year to track beaver dam
locations. Five (5) dams were recorded, and the data was reported to Charlotte - Mecklenburg
Storm Water Operations to track. No illicit discharge pollution sources were observed during
2021 Phase II stream walk activities. Overall, stream walk data was collected with consistency
throughout all teams in the FY2021 season.
28

Stream walk activities are also performed in the Phase I jurisdiction. Figure 2 identifies the
basins that were walked during FY2021 in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions. Table 16
summarizes the stream walk data collected in the TMDL watersheds.

Table 16: Stream Walk Data Collected in Phase I and Phase II TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL
Watershed
Basin
No.
Stream
Miles
DWF
Detected
DWF
Sampled
IDDE Problems
Detected/Corrected
Inventoried
Outfalls
Phase I Jurisdiction
Long Creek 64 15.37 0 0 0 6
Long Creek 65 12.21 0 0 0 8
Long Creek 66 9.95 0 0 0 2
Long Creek 67 17.31 3 0 2 17
Long Creek 68 14.6 1 0 1 5
Long Creek 69 11.41 0 0 1 10
Long Creek 70 11.36 1 0 1 2
Irwin Creek 14 25.48 50 4 5 103
Irwin Creek 15 8.59 8 0 1 42
Irwin Creek 16 11.04 1 0 0 10
Irwin Creek 17 12.43 7 0 0 31
Irwin Creek 18 16.18 3 4 2 10
McKee Creek 118 18.33 2 1 1 64
Totals 184.26 76 9 14 310
Phase II Jurisdictions
McDowell Creek 79 17.29 0 0 0 28
McDowell Creek 80 13.62 0 0 0 8
McDowell Creek 81 10.91 0 0 0 29
McDowell Creek 82 21.25 9 0 0 46
Goose Creek 52 11.74 1 0 0 15
Totals 74.84 10 0 0 126

29

Figure 2: FY2021 Stream Walk Basins in Phase I and Phase II

30

In FY2021, IDDE training was provided to appropriate municipal staff, who, as part of their
normal job responsibilities, may encounter or otherwise observe an illicit discharge or illicit
connection to the storm sewer system. This IDDE training is separate from the annual Pollution
Prevention and Good Housekeeping training provided to employees at facilities involved in
municipal operations. According to the Storm Water Quality Management Program Plan, IDDE
training is to be completed at least once during every five Permit cycles. CMSWS utilized a 2½
minute video entitled “Water Pollution: What To Do” to provide the IDDE training to
appropriate staff. The video was made available in the MeckEDU online training platform and
was forwarded to the following county departments: DSS, Public Health (Environmental
Health), LUESA (Code Enforcement), Solid Waste, Air Quality, GIS, Park & Recreation,
County Assessor’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office. A total of 139 county staff from selected
departments viewed the video. The video information is also being forwarded to town municipal
departments for their staff to view.

During FY2021, the BMPs implemented for the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Program were evaluated and found to be effective at reducing non-point source pollutant loading
to the receiving streams of TMDL watersheds. Therefore, these BMPs will continue to be used in
FY2022 to comply with TMDL requirements.

2.2.4 Charlotte Water Program

The City’s water and sewer utility department (Charlotte Water) maintains a public education
program focused on keeping food related fats, oils, and grease from being discharged to the
sanitary sewer system in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions. In recent years, the focus of this
program has been expanded to include wipes and paper towels that can be flushed down the
toilet. The program is referred to as “Flow Free.” This effort helps to reduce clogging and
blockages in the system and prevent SSOs, which can introduce fecal coliform and other
pollutants to water bodies. The program has proven to be effective and will continue to be
implemented in FY2022.

2.2.5 Sewer Use Ordinance

Implementation and enforcement of the Sewer Use Ordinance by Charlotte Water in the Phase I
and Phase II jurisdictions provides the legal mechanism to ensure proper use and connection to
the sanitary sewer system and correction of problems and illegal practices. Ensuring that the
system is used properly will help prevent leaks and overflows as well as upsets at wastewater
treatment plants thus helping control the TMDL pollutants of concern. This ordinance has
proven to be effective and will continue to be implemented in FY2022.

2.2.6 Sanitary Sewer System Inspections and Maintenance

Charlotte Water conducts inspections and maintenance of various components of
the sanitary sewer system in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions to ensure proper operating
function and prevent leaks and overflows. These include food service grease trap inspections,
commercial oil/water separator inspections, sanitary sewer line root control and cleaning, sewer
line right-of-way clearing and maintenance, and lift station inspection and maintenance.
31

Ensuring that the system is used properly, inspected and maintained will help prevent leaks and
overflows as well as upsets at wastewater treatment plants thus helping control the TMDL
pollutants of concern. These inspection and maintenance efforts have proven to be effective and
will continue to be implemented in FY2022.

2.2.7 SSO Rapid Response

Charlotte Water maintains a rapid response program designed to quickly and efficiently respond
to sanitary sewer overflows, thus reducing the discharge of pollutants to the MEP and helping
control the TMDL pollutants of concern in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions. These
programs have proven to be effective and will continue to be implemented in FY2022.

2.2.8 Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control (Section 6 of SWQMPP)

The following existing construction site storm water runoff control activities have been identified
as suitable for addressing the pollutants of concern in the TMDL watersheds. These BMPs will
address impaired waters by reducing discharges of pollutants of concern from construction sites.
During FY2021, these BMPs were effectively implemented in the TMDL watersheds in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
1. Erosion Control Plan Reviews
2. Erosion Control Inspections
3. Enforcement of Erosion Control Ordinance – Enhanced erosion control measures are
required in all TMDL watersheds.
4. Erosion Control Hotline
5. Erosion Control Education
6. Erosion Control at Government Projects

During FY2021, a total of 106 new projects were approved in Mecklenburg County with a total of
2,031.8 acres disturbed. 963 inspections were performed with 12 Notice of Violations (NOV’s)
issued. Six penalties were assessed for a total of $25,500.00. $20,500.00 in penalties has been
collected. There are $5,000.00 in penalties outstanding and $0 in penalties have been submitted to
the state for remission. Provided below are the totals for the Phase II jurisdictions (excluding
Huntersville).
• Cornelius: 118 inspections conducted; 5 NOVs issued.
• Davidson: 62 inspections conducted; 1 NOV issued.
• Matthews: 267 inspections conducted; 3 NOVs issued.
• Mint Hill: 299 inspections conducted; 1 NOV issued.
• Pineville: 127 inspections conducted; 2 NOVs issued.
• Mecklenburg County: 90 inspections conducted; no NOVs were issued.

Erosion control educational programs were only offered virtually in FY2021 due to COVID-19
restrictions. In all, 279 individuals were certified for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Certified Site
Inspector (CMSCI) program, including 234 initial certifications and 45 re-certifications.

During FY2021, an evaluation was completed of the effectiveness of the BMPs for the
Construction Site Storm Water Control Program as described in the latest version of the Storm
32

Water Plan. The evaluation revealed that the Program is successful at addressing the discharges
of sediment and other pollutants from construction sites in Phase II jurisdictions. Four (4)
improvements are recommended for implementation in FY2022 based on this evaluation:

1. Evaluate the usage of drones for site inspections.
2. Examine the NOV/Penalty process and try to find any steps that can be streamlined.
3. Examine the ability to catalog citizen request for inspections.
4. Continue working on changing all Erosion Control ordinances to meet the new State
model ordinance.

There are two (2) measures of success for the Program contained in the Storm Water Plan ,
including the documentation of the completion of activities that demonstrate the successful
completion of the BMPs associated with the Program and the number of NOVs issued for every
100 inspections. The evaluation revealed that all documentation was successfully completed.
Data reveals that the ratio of the number of violations to the number of inspections has
decreased, with a six-year downward trend. The desired trend is a reduction of this ratio, which
would indicate fewer violations being detected as a result of inspections.

2.2.9 Post-Construction Site Runoff Control (Section 7 of SWQMPP)

The following existing post-construction site runoff control activities have been identified as
suitable for addressing the pollutants of concern in the TMDL watersheds. These BMPs will
address impaired waters by reducing discharges of pollutants of concern from new development
and redevelopment projects. During FY2021, these BMPs were effectively implemented in the
Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County.

1. Enforcement of the Post-Construction Storm Water Ordinances
2. Compliance by Co-Permittees with Post-Construction Ordinance Requirements
3. Ensuring Compliance with Requirements for Non-Structural BMPs
4. Ensuring Compliance with Requirements for Structural BMPs
5. Ensuring Compliance with Natural Resource Protection
6. Ensuring Compliance with Open Space Protection
7. Ensuring Compliance with Tree Preservation
8. Ensuring Compliance with Redevelopment
9. Ensuring Compliance with Green Infrastructure Practices
10. Ensuring Compliance with Operation and Maintenance Requirements

A total of nine information packets were given out to BMP owners in various Phase II
jurisdictions in FY2021, including four in Pineville, one in Mint Hill, one in Matthews, one in
Huntersville, one in Davidson, and one in Cornelius.

During FY2021, a total of 695 BMP inspections were completed revealing 450 deficiencies.
Table 17 below summarizes these inspections by Phase II jurisdiction.

33

Table 17: Summary of FY2021 BMP Inspections by Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
# Inspections/
Follow Up Insp.
Non-
Compliant
BMPs
# BMPs
brought into
compliance
Notice of
Maintenance
# Correction
Action
Requests
Issued
# Notices of
Violation
Issued
Cornelius 54/1 25 6 19 0 6
Davidson 45/6 7 5 3 0 4
Huntersville 337/4 178 32 144 4 30
Matthews 40/1 49 8 41 0 8
Mint Hill 50/2 42 8 29 5 8
Pineville 25/1 27 8 19 1 7
CMS 125 107 0 5 102 0
CPCC 19 15 0 15 0 0
TOTALS 695/15 450 67 275 112 63

During FY2021, the post-construction ordinances applicable to the Phase II jurisdictions were
evaluated and found to be effective at fulfilling the requirements of the Phase II Permit and
SWQMPP. The BMPs implemented for the Post-Construction Site Runoff Control Program
were also evaluated and found to be effective at reducing non-point source pollutant loading to
the receiving streams of TMDL watersheds. However, the following improvements to the Post-
Construction Site Runoff Control Program have been identified for implementation in FY2022 to
further improve program effectiveness:

1. Complete #3 from FY2021, “Develop a process to better identify when BMPs need to be
inspected based on the Ordinance for which they were installed.”
2. Work with staff on making sure educational materials are given out to new owners of
BMPs as restrictions are now easing from the pandemic. Determine if Huntersville or
Mecklenburg County will give out this information in Huntersville.
3. Continue issuing NOV’s for sites where 3rd party inspections are not being performed and
follow-up to ensure compliance.

2.2.10 Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping (Section 8 of SWQMPP)

The following existing pollution prevention and good housekeeping activities for municipally
owned/operated facilities have been identified as suitable for addressing the pollutants of concern
in the TMDL watersheds. These BMPs will address impaired waters by reducing discharges of
pollutants of concern from municipal facilities and operations. During FY2021, these BMPs
were effectively implemented in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County.

1. Maintaining an Inventory of Municipal Operations
2. Providing Employee Training
3. Implementing Operation and Maintenance Programs, Spill Prevention and Spill Response
4. Minimizing Pollution from Municipally-Owned Streets, Roads and Parking Lots
5. Implementing Operation and Maintenance of Municipally Owned Storm Sewer System
6. Management of Pesticide, Herbicide and Fertilizer Application
7. Preventing or Minimizing Pollution from Vehicle and Equipment Cleaning Areas
8. Implementing Proper Waste Disposal Practices
34

9. Completing Flood Management Projects

During FY2021, CMSWS staff inspected 55 municipal owned/operated facilities in the Phase II
jurisdictions. A total of five (5) deficiencies were identified as a result of these inspections.
Four (4) of the deficiencies were for failure to conduct semi -annual inspections, three (3) of
which were repeat findings. The one (1) other deficiency was a repeat finding for failure to
document the annual no exposure self-re-certification. All Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Plans (SWPPPs) were reviewed and updated by CMSWS staff to reflect any changes in the
previous year, and updated copies were sent to facility managers.

Municipal facility inspections are also performed in the Phase I jurisdictio n. Table 18 indicates
the number of municipal facility inspections conducted in the Phase I and Phase II TMDL
watersheds in Charlotte-Mecklenburg during FY2021.

Table 18: Municipal Facility Inspections Conducted in Phase II TMDL Watersheds in FY2021
TMDL Watershed # Municipal Facilities
Inspected # Inspections Conducted
Phase I Jurisdiction
Irwin Creek 17 18
Little Sugar Creek 25 25
Long Creek 3 3
McAlpine Creek 10 10
Steele Creek 2 2
Sugar Creek 17 17
Phase II Jurisdictions
Goose Creek 1 1
Lake Wylie 1 1
Long Creek 2 2
McAlpine Creek 3 3
McDowell Creek 7 7
Rocky River 1 1
Sugar Creek 2 2
Totals 91 92

During FY2021, the BMPs implemented for the Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping
Program were evaluated and found to be effective at reducing non-point source pollutant loading
to the receiving streams of TMDL watersheds to the maximum extent practicable. Therefore,
these BMPs will continue to be used in FY2022 to comply with TMDL requirements. In addition
to these BMPs, the following improvements have been identified for implementation in FY2022
to improve program effectiveness:

1. Staff will continue to work with facility personnel to ensure that all SWPPP components,
including the spill prevention and response procedures, spill logs, semi-annual
35

inspections, and employee training, are reviewed, completed and documented
satisfactorily.
2. Staff will continue to work to ensure that pesticide licenses and continuing education is
current and documented and that facilities update pesticide application logs.

Section 3: Current TMDL Monitoring Strategies

CMSWS conducts fixed interval stream monitoring every month at 33 locations across the
county (see Figure 3) in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions. Many of these locations are
within, or immediately downstream of, the TMDL watersheds that are shown in Figure 1. At
each site, samples are collected and analyzed for 16 water quality parameters as follows:
ammonia-nitrogen, fecal coliform bacteria, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite, total suspended
solids, total phosphorus, E. coli, turbidity, suspended sediment, magnesium, calcium, hardness,
and copper (dissolved). Lead (dissolved), chromium (total), and zinc (dissolved) are collected in
the first month of each quarter. CMSWS also performs annual or bi-annual monitoring for
benthic macroinvertebrates in the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions at these 33 stream
monitoring locations. CMSWS maintains a Continuous Monitoring and Alert Notification
Network or CMANN at 34 locations, including 27 of the fixed interval monitoring locations
shown in Figure 3. The CMANN network collects data hourly for turbidity, dissolved oxygen,
temperature, conductivity, and pH. CMSWS conducts routine lake monitoring at 28 locations
on Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie, including seven locations in the TMDL
area identified in Figure 1 for Lake Wylie. This monitoring is performed every other month for
the following 12 parameters: secchi depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH,
fecal coliform bacteria, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate + nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total
phosphorus, turbidity, and Chlorophyll-a. Monitoring for the following 13 parameters is
performed twice a year: copper, chromium, lead, zinc, mercury, manganese, arsenic, cadmium,
nickel, selenium, aluminum, iron, and hardness. All monitoring results that exceed threshold
values are referred for follow-up under the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE)
Program. Long-term assessment for trends is performed on a non-fixed frequency (as needed).
Provided below is an assessment of the data collected for the identified parameters in the three
TMDL watersheds where Mecklenburg County is assigned as the lead, including the Rocky
River and Goose Creek impaired for fecal coliform bacteria and Lake Wylie impaired for
nutrients (see Table 1). The following discussion is limited to data collected up to the end of
2020 as the Federal TMDL Program operates on a calendar year basis as opposed to the fiscal
year basis utilized by CMSWS.

36

Figure 3: Water Quality Monitoring Locations in Mecklenburg County

3.1 Rocky River Fecal Coliform Monitoring and Land Use Evaluation

As identified in Table 19, a section of the Rocky River in Mecklenburg County (AU Number 13-
17a) is subject to a fecal coliform TMDL with a WLA assigned to storm water that was approved
on September 19, 2002. According the approved NC 2018 305(b) report, the Rocky River is
currently not meeting the fecal coliform criteria. Mecklenburg County has been assigned
37

responsibility for this TMDL on behalf of the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Charlotte -
Mecklenburg. Phase II Permit conditions required that a monitoring plan be develo ped for the
Fecal Coliform TMDL in the Rocky River Watershed unless a waiver was obtained from
NCDEQ. Such a waiver was obtained on June 26, 2014, based on the condition that
Mecklenburg County continue to evaluate the land use and development within the watershed on
an annual basis and if additional storm water infrastructure is installed or higher intensity land
uses are constructed a Monitoring Plan would be reconsidered. In response to this condition,
CMSWS has obtained impervious area and land use data from the County GIS Department back
to 2011 and continues to update this data annually (see Table 1). Between 2019 and 2020, the
residential impervious cover remained unchanged at 15.72 acres. The commercial impervious
cover also remained unchanged at 0.33 acres for a total amount of impervious cover in the
watershed at 16.05 acres. Compared to the total area of the watershed at 747 acres, the amount
of impervious cover is at 2.15%, which is an increase of 0.21% since 2011. The number of
outfalls is unchanged from 2019 at four (4), which has increased by three (3) outfalls since 2011.
To date, changes in the watershed are not significant enough to warrant the establishment of a
Monitoring Plan.

Table 19: Annual Analysis of the Rocky River Watershed for the Monitoring Plan
Year
Residential
Impervious
Cover (acres)
Commercial
Impervious Cover
(acres)
Total
Impervious
Cover (acres)
Storm Water
Outfalls
(number)
2011 14.22 0.33 14.55 1
2012 14.22 0.33 14.55 1
2013 14.55 0.33 14.88 3
2014 14.88 0.33 15.21 3
2015 15 0.33 15.33 4
2016 15.1 0.33 15.43 4
2017 15.2 0.33 15.53 4
2018 15.69 0.33 16.02 4
2019 15.72 0.33 16.05 4
2020 15.72 0.33 16.05 4
# Increase from
FY11 1.50 0.00 1.50 3
% Increase from
FY11 10.55% 0.00% 10.31% 300%

Although CMSWS does not perform monitoring in the Rocky River TMDL watershed, it obtain s
monthly monitoring data collected by the NCDEQ, Division of Water Quality at Q7330000,
which is the specific monitoring location for this TMDL. CMSWS performed analysis of the
fecal coliform data collected by the State in calendar year 2020, which is the most current data
available. Due to COVID-19, however, NCDEQ did not perform monitoring at site Q7330000
between April and September of 2020. Discussion of fecal coliform concentrations observed at
38

site Q7330000 in 2020 will therefore be limited to the months of January, February, March,
October, November, and December. The geometric mean concentration of fecal coliform
samples collected in 2020 was 432.40 CFU/100 ml. This represents an approximately 21%
increase from the geometric mean concentration (357.17 CFU/100 ml) observed in calendar year
2019. Out of the 6 samples collected in 2020, three (50%) exhibited concentrations below 400
CFU/100 ml. The North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) 02B Fresh Surface Water
Quality Standards dictate that fecal coliform “shall not exceed a geometric mean of 200
[CFU]/100 ml…nor exceed 400 [CFU]/100 ml in more than 20 percent of the samples
examined…”. Although the data from site Q7330000 suggest a slight increase in mean fecal
coliform concentration from 2019 to 2020, the 2020 dataset is incomplete and not necessarily
representative of conditions throughout the entire calendar year. Overall, mean fecal coliform
concentrations have decreased and percent compliance has increased since the 1970s (Table 20,
Figure 4, and Figure 5).

Table 20: NCDWQ Fecal Coliform Data for Site Q7330000 on the Rocky River
Year Geometric
Mean
#
Compliant
# Non-
Compliant
Total
Samples
%
Compliant
% Non-
Compliant
2016 627.58 2 10 12 17% 83%
2017 488.70 5 7 12 42% 58%
2018 663.46 5 7 12 42% 58%
2019 357.17 8 4 12 67% 33%
2020 432.40 3 3 6 50% 50%

Figure 4: Geometric Mean for Fecal Coliform on Rocky River Site Q7330000

100
1000
10000
100000
CFU/ 100 mlCalendar Year
Rocky River -Fecal Coliform Geometric Mean
Geometric Mean
39

Figure 5: Compliance with Fecal Coliform Standard on Rocky River Site Q7330000

3.2 Goose Creek Fecal Coliform Monitoring

As identified in Table 1, two (2) sections of Goose Creek in Mecklenburg County (AU Numbers
13-17-18a and 13-17-18b) are subject to a fecal coliform TMDL with a WLA assigned to storm
water that was approved on July 8, 2005. According to the draft NC 2020 305(b) report, the data
regarding fecal coliform concentrations within Goose Creek are inconclusive. Mecklenburg
County has been assigned responsibility for compliance with this TMDL on behalf of the Phase I
and Phase II jurisdictions in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. CMSWS maintains a fixed interval
monitoring site (MY9) located where Stevens Mill Road crosses Goose Creek in Union County.
In calendar year 2020, fecal coliform counts at this station ranged from non-detect (<100) to
4,450 Colony-Forming Units per 100 milliliters of water (CFU/100 ml) with a geometric mean
of 404.11 CFU/ 100 ml. Eight of the 15 samples collected in 2020 (53%) exhibited
concentrations at or below 400 CFU/100 ml. No pollution sources were identified as a resu lt of
the water quality monitoring in the Goose Creek TMDL watershed in 2020. Table 21 provides a
summary of this data from 2016 through 2020. Figures 6 and 7 provide a comparison of fecal
coliform data indicating some improvement over time.

Table 21: CMSWS Fecal Coliform Data for Site # MY9 on the Goose Creek
Year Geometric
Mean
#
Compliant
# Non-
Compliant
Total
Samples
%
Compliant
% Non-
Compliant
2016 454.057 10 9 19 53% 47%
2017 607.12 10 9 19 53% 47%
2018 678.67 11 8 19 58% 42%
2019 427.19 11 8 19 58% 42%
2020 404.11 8 7 15 53% 47%

0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
0
20
40
60
80
% CompliantNumber of SamplesRocky River-Fecal Coliform % Compliance (400 CFU/100 ml)
Compliant Non-Compliant % Compliant
40

Figure 6: Geometric Mean for Fecal Coliform on Goose Creek Site MY9

Figure 7: Compliance with Fecal Coliform Standard on Goose Creek Site MY9

3.3 Lake Wylie Chlorophyll-A Monitoring

As identified in Table 1, two (2) sections of Lake Wylie in Mecklenburg County (AU Numbers
11-122 and 11-(123.5)a) are subject to a nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) TMDL. This TMDL
was approved on February 5, 1996 and does not include a WLA assigned to storm water.
Mecklenburg County has been assigned responsibility for compliance with this TMDL on behalf
of the Phase I and Phase II jurisdictions in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020CFU/ 100 mlGoose Creek-Fecal Coliform Geometric Mean
Geometric Mean
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020% CompliantNumber of SamplesGoose Creek-Fecal Coliform % Compliance (400 CFU/100 ml)
Compliant Non-Compliant % Compliant
41

Surface Water Quality Standards have not been established for nitrogen and phosphorus. As a
result, CMSWS utilizes Chlorophyll-a concentration as a proxy parameter for monitoring
nutrient levels in Lake Wylie. According to the draft NC 2020 305(b) report, the two TMDL
segments of Lake Wylie are currently meeting the Chlorophyll-a criterion of 40 micrograms per
liter (µg/L). All 44 Chlorophyll-a samples collected by CMSWS in Lake Wylie in 2020 were
below 40 µg/l.

Figure 8: Annual Average Chlorophyll-a Concentration on Lake Wylie

0
5
10
15
20
25
199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020Chlorophyll-a (ug/L)Lake Wylie -Chlorophyll-a Annual Average Concentration
(State Standard = 40 ug/L)
Average
42

Figure 9: Annual Average Chlorophyll-a on Lake Wylie Coves, Main Stem and Tributaries

3.4 Mercury Monitoring Statewide

As stated in sub-section 9.5.3 of the Storm Water Plan, the State did not include an MS4 NPDES
WLA for mercury in their statewide TMDL. Therefore, this document does not discuss
compliance measures or data analysis for this TMDL.

3.5 Effectiveness of BMPs Based on Data Analysis

Based on the above-described assessments of data collected in the TMDL watersheds, a general
improvement in Chlorophyll-a has been observed in Lake Wylie over the past several decades. In
2020, none of the Chlorophyll-a samples collected from Lake Wylie by CMSWS exceeded the
state standard of 40 µg/L. Therefore, it is determined that the current BMPs are effective at
identifying and eliminating pollution sources in compliance with TMDL requirements. These
BMPs will continue to be implemented in FY2022.

The mean fecal coliform concentration observed in Rocky River in 2020 increased slightly from
2019. However, NCDEQ did not collect samples from the compliance location between April
and September of 2020. Due to its limited nature, the fecal coliform dataset from 2020 is likely
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020Chlorophyll-a Concentration (µg/L)Year
Lake Wylie -Chlorophyll-a Annual Average for Coves, Main Channel, and
Tributaries
Cove
Main
Trib
43

not representative of the average concentrations observed over the entire year. As a result, data
from 2020 cannot be effectively compared to results from previous years.

Fecal coliform concentrations in Goose Creek exhibited moderate decreases from 2019 to 2020.
Additionally, the percentage of samples complying with applicable fecal coliform standards has
increased over the past several years. The existing BMPs f or both the Rocky River and Goose
Creek watersheds appear to be effective at identifying and eliminating pollution sources in
compliance with TMDL requirements. These BMPs will continue to be implemented in FY2022.

Section 4: Additional BMP Measures

As required by Permit No. NCS000395, CMSWS is continuing to evaluate the effectiveness of
the existing structural and/or non-structural BMPs described in the previous sections and identify
and implement additional BMPs as necessary to effectively address impaired waters. The
following subsections describe the additional BMPs implemented in FY2021, as well as those
planned for implementation in FY2022 along with an implementation timeline, and a brief
explanation as to how these additional BMPs will address impaired waters.

4.1 Additional BMPs Implemented for the Rocky River TMDL in FY2021

During FY2021, the following additional activities were completed to reduce fecal coliform
bacteria levels and enhance water quality in the Rocky River watershed:
1. NCDEQ, Division of Water Quality continued to conduct water quality monitoring,
including sampling for fecal coliform bacteria, at site Q7330000. Monitoring results are
described in Section 3.2.
2. On January 8, 2021 Health Department records were reviewed and no failed septic
systems were identified.
3. On December 9, 2020, the four (4) major outfalls in the Rocky River TMDL watershed in
Mecklenburg County were inspected. No dry weather flows or pollution sources were
detected.
4. In February 2021, the permitting and bidding activities associated with the restoration of
a 9,000-foot section of West Branch Rocky River were completed. Construction activities
began in May 2021 and are expected to be completed May 2022.

4.2 Additional BMPs Implemented for the Goose Creek TMDL in FY2021

During FY2021, the following additional activities were completed to reduce fecal coliform
bacteria levels and enhance water quality in the Goose Creek watershed:
1. Routine fixed interval monitoring was conducted monthly at site MY9 (Goose Creek –
Stevens Mill Road) for 16 parameters including fecal coliform and E. coli. Monitoring
results are described in Section 3.2.
2. Beginning on November 1, 2020 and concluding on April 20, 2021, CMSWS staff
walked approximately 74.84 stream miles in the Phase II jurisdictions (see Figure 2). In
all, 69 points or features were collected, 77 outfalls were inspected, and 52 new outfalls
were recorded. Ten dry weather flows were observed but all were too low to sample. Six
significant problems and two stream blockages were also identified and reported to
44
Mecklenburg County Storm Water Operations. No illicit discharges of pollution sources
were observed during 2021 Phase II stream walk activities.
3.On January 8, 2021, Health Department records were reviewed and no failed septic
systems were identified.
4.3 Additional BMPs to be Implemented in FY2022
During FY2022, the following additional BMPs will be implemented in the Rocky River and
Goose Creek watersheds to reduce fecal coliform bacteria levels and enhance water quality:
1.Routine monitoring will continue to be performed monthly by CMSWS at MY9 on
Goose Creek at Stevens Mill Road and by NCDEQ, Division of Water Quality at site
Q7330000 on Rocky River at SR 2420. Exceedances of established water quality watch
and action levels will be identified and follow up actions conducted as necessary for the
identification and elimination of pollution sources.
2.By December 31, 2021, CMSWS will complete a review of Health Department records to
determine where failed septic systems have been identified in both the Rocky River and
Goose Creek TMDL watersheds. Follow up inspections and monitoring will be
performed as necessary to ensure the elimination of sources of fecal coliform bacteria
associated with failed septic systems thereby addressing impaired waters.
3.By March 31, 2022, major outfalls will be inspected in the Rocky River TMDL
watershed. Dry weather flows will be identified, and pollution sources eliminated
thereby addressing impaired waters.
4.Construction activities associated with the restoration of a 9,000-foot section of West
Branch Rocky River are expected to be completed by May 2022. Historically, West
Branch Rocky River has been severely degraded by storm water flows that erode the
stream banks. The restoration project will stabilize the stream banks to reduce erosion
and improve water quality.
Section 5: Tracking and Reporting Success
CMSWS will document all activities completed for the identification and elimination of
pollution sources in the TMDL watersheds, including all inspections conducted and corrective
actions implemented. All confirmed pollution sources will be mapped in GIS and, where
possible, pollutant loads will be estimated. This data will be tracked over time as a measure of
the success of program activities.
Section 6: TMDL Reporting
This report fulfills the SWQMPP TMDL reporting requirement by providing a summary of the
following:
1.Description of water quality restoration activities completed during the past fiscal year.
2.Description of water quality restoration activities expected to occur next fiscal year.