Belmont council votes to buy 500,000 gallons‑per‑day of Charlotte Water capacity and OKs pump‑station design

Belmont City Council voted unanimously on July 20 to request an additional 500,000 gallons‑per‑day (gpd) of wastewater treatment capacity from Charlotte Water and to authorize Charlotte Water to continue design work on pump and conveyance infrastructure that would allow Belmont to transmit flow to Charlotte for treatment.

Public works director Jonathan Golsan told the council that Belmont’s local plant is permitted for 5,000,000 gpd but has seen deferred maintenance and that the original interlocal agreement with Charlotte Water (executed Nov. 7, 2019) supplied 3,000,000 gpd with options to buy capacity in 100,000‑gpd increments. Golsan said recent negotiations secured an extra 300,000 gpd at no direct cost to Belmont, and staff recommended buying a further 500,000 gpd now — raising Belmont’s committed allocation to 3,800,000 gpd — so the city can approve sewer permits for projects currently under review.

The council heard detailed flow figures from staff: Belmont’s 2024 average effluent was about 1,998,000 gpd; projects under construction accounted for roughly 527,830 gpd; two large industrial allocations (Spartan Dyers and US Cotton) total roughly 762,000 gpd on paper. Combined allocations and projected developments could push on‑paper flow near 5,000,000 gpd if all proposals were built.

Angela Charles, director of Charlotte Water, told the council that Charlotte Water is managing design and construction for the regional Stowe (STOW) plant and associated pump station and river crossings. Charlotte Water provided a current construction cost estimate used in planning of about $31.73 per gallon; staff used that figure to model potential capital needs and estimated additional funding in the tens of millions depending on how much capacity is reserved and when it is drawn.

Council members pressed for comparisons and accountability. Some members noted that Belmont originally asked for less allocation than the plant’s capacity and questioned negotiation history and differences between Belmont’s costs and other towns’ deals. Angela Charles noted the figures Belmont staff provided were the basis for negotiation and emphasized regional collaboration to meet regulatory and technical burdens: “Treating wastewater is highly expensive, and it is gold in our region,” she said.

On funding, staff recommended applying for a State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan and exploring Charlotte Water financing and grants. Staff and Charlotte Water explained SRF application windows and said Belmont might miss the near‑term September application but could apply in March 2026; loan drawdowns and payments would likely align with Charlotte Water’s construction payout schedule, expected several years into construction.

The council approved a motion — moved by Jason and seconded by Catherine — to request the additional 500,000 gpd, to authorize Charlotte Water to resume and continue pump‑station design sized to convey wastewater to the STOW plant (a facility planned for significantly larger capacity), and to direct staff to pursue the best funding approach including SRF and other options. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote; the council asked staff and the city attorney to amend the written interlocal agreement to reflect any changes negotiated.

Council members and staff emphasized the decision was pragmatic: buying 500,000 gpd now preserves Belmont’s near‑term ability to permit development while deferring purchase of larger future increments until they are required and better priced. Staff estimated the larger additional 1.2 million gpd that some developments could require would likely not be needed for 7–15 years and recommended purchasing future capacity in 100,000‑gpd increments as projects and demand materialize.

The council concluded the workshop by thanking Charlotte Water’s delegation for the presentation and directed staff to return with final amendment language and financing details as they are worked out.

Votes at a glance: The motion to request an additional 500,000 gpd and to approve Charlotte Water to proceed with the pump‑station design passed by unanimous voice vote; the meeting transcript records a unanimous voice vote but does not list individual roll‑call tallies.