Storm Water Services is Upgrading Charlotte’s Aging Drainage System
Published on March 13, 2026
More than 150 people move to the Charlotte region each day. Based on current projections, the City of Charlotte is expected to add over 385,000 new residents by 2040. To support our growing city, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services is taking proactive steps to stay ahead of the rain and improve Charlotte’s public storm drainage system.
As land is developed, more surfaces are covered with concrete and asphalt. These hard surfaces don’t absorb rainwater, so the water runs off instead of soaking into the ground. Drainage infrastructure collects runoff and moves it to nearby creeks to help reduce street and structure flooding.
Keeping a Watchful Eye on Drainage Infrastructure
The public storm drainage system benefits everyone by moving rainwater from streets, so our community can stay safe and travel during heavy storms. Storm Water Services continuously assesses, maintains and improves drainage infrastructure to protect public safety and ensure it stays reliable for decades to come.
- Inspection. We regularly check storm drainage pipes for leaks and blockages. In fiscal year 2025, we inspected more than 300 culverts (that let water flow under streets) and drainage pipes, along with over 28 miles of pipes using video cameras. These inspections help us find cracks and clogs in pipes early, before they turn into major problems.
- Maintenance. Typical maintenance includes removing debris from storm drains, clearing pipe blockages and installing pipe collars to repair concrete pipes. We also use technologies like liners to extend the lifespan of pipes. A pipe liner is like giving an old pipe a new inner layer without digging it up. In fiscal year 2025, we rehabilitated over 10,000 feet of pipe.
- Improvements. Every year we construct hundreds of storm drainage improvement projects to replace and upgrade drainage infrastructure across the city. In fiscal year 2025, we completed over 200 projects and installed more than 28,500 feet of new drainage pipes.
- Development Services. Storm Water Services reviews private development plans to ensure compliance with the city’s stormwater regulations. These regulations help address drainage needs and reduce the impact of runoff on nearby properties.
Our Data-Driven Approach to Guide Infrastructure Improvements
Storm Water Services maintains about 1,400 miles of pipes and over 100,000 inlets across city streets, rights-of-way and areas where the city has legal easement agreements. To stay ahead of aging infrastructure, we use a proactive, data-driven approach to plan and prioritize drainage infrastructure improvements. Here’s how the process works:
- Drainage Asset Data Collection. We use inspection information and watershed modeling to understand the condition and capacity of existing drainage systems.
- Data Analysis. Next, we study this information to identify which drainage assets are most important for protecting the traveling public.
- Project Identification and Prioritization. We then determine which areas need attention first and select the projects with the greatest need and impact.
This isn’t a one‑time process. As new data is collected, we continually update our priorities and repeat the cycle to make sure Charlotte’s drainage system stays reliable and ready for the future.
To learn more about storm drainage infrastructure and projects underway, visit our Storm Drainage Infrastructure webpage.
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