World Water Monitoring Day – Char-Meck Water Quality Monitoring
Published on September 03, 2025
World Water Monitoring Day is observed each year on September 18, with a month-long monitoring period extending through October 18. This international initiative promotes the protection of water resources through monitoring and encourages active public participation.
The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County work together to monitor local surface waters, measuring creek health against state water quality standards. This monitoring helps guide and prioritize efforts to improve water quality, such as installing stormwater control measures (SCMs) and completing stream restoration projects.
SCMs play a key role in reducing pollutants in our waterways. These practices include ponds, constructed wetlands, bioretention systems and other projects designed to capture and filter stormwater, removing pollutants before they reach local creeks. Similarly, stream restoration projects help reduce streambank erosion, while providing aquatic habitat and allowing pollutants to settle out in the floodplain instead of remaining in the creeks.
Reducing pollutants in our creeks is vital not only for meeting the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act, but also for protecting fish and other aquatic life and protecting the source of drinking water for residents downstream. Once local projects are implemented, long-term monitoring tracks improvements in surface water quality and ensures these efforts are making a lasting impact.
Local Monitoring Efforts
To evaluate local surface water quality, Continuous Monitoring and Notification Network (CMANN) stations have been established along 23 creeks in the City to collect near real-time data for pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Since real-time sensors are not available for all pollutants, monthly samples are taken from the same creeks which are then analyzed in a laboratory for pollutants such as sediment, bacteria, nutrients and metals. In the same water bodies, fish and aquatic insects are also routinely monitored to evaluate the health of the streams and stream walks are performed to identify locations where bacteria might be entering the streams from the sanitary sewage system. Industrial facilities are also monitored routinely to make sure discharges from these facilities are not degrading surface water quality.
Public Involvement in Water Monitoring
Our Resident’s Guide to Stormwater lists several important practical ways for the public to play an active role in helping to protect the quality of our local water resources. If the public observes pollution in local streams, this can be reported by calling 311 or by using the CLT+ app and staff will follow up to determine the problem and work towards a solution. Residents interested in volunteering to monitor a local stream by taking photos or samples can contact our volunteer monitoring coordinator at STW-Volunteers@mecknc.gov. The public can also view near real-time data online for our CMANN sites and can use the Stream Use Support Index to determine whether a particular water body is “impaired” or “partially supporting” water quality standards based on local data.
In addition to monitoring and reporting, community members can get involved in protecting local water resources through several volunteer opportunities. Programs like Adopt-A-Stream, Adopt-A-Drain, Storm Drain Marking and the Big Spring Clean give resident's hands-on ways to make a difference, along with other opportunities throughout the year.
The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are committed to ongoing monitoring and project efforts that protect and improve our surface waters, and we greatly value the important role the public plays in helping to monitor and safeguard these resources.
Related Links
Learn More at Storm Water Services