Water Department
Caldwell County's water distribution network consists of three separate water systems … the North System in the 321N-Patterson areas; the West System in the Gamewell-Collettsville areas, and the Southeast System in the Kings Creek-Oak Hill-Dudley Shoals-Grace Chapel areas. Each of these three systems has been assigned system identification numbers and operating permits by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Public Water Supply Section.
These systems consist of more than 300 miles of water mains with approximately 8,300 active service connections. Approximately 24,000 of Caldwell County's citizens are served by the county-owned systems. All public schools in the county are now served with public water. Of those, Happy Valley, Kings Creek, Oak Hill, Dudley Shoals, West Caldwell, Gamewell Elementary, Gamewell Middle, and Collettsville are served by the county's water systems.
The Southeast System is by far the largest of the three systems, with approximately 4,800 active connections.
The county's water operation is a "Purchase System", meaning that all water is purchased from other entities that own and operate water treatment facilities. This water is sold to the county through contractual purchase agreements and is delivered to the county systems through master-metered points of connection.
Caldwell County does not currently own any water treatment facilities, nor capacity in any other entity's facilities. The county purchases its water from three different suppliers … the City of Lenoir, approximately 82% of the total; the Town of Granite Falls, approximately 15% of the total; and the City of Hickory, approximately 3% of the total. The county has had contractual purchase agreements with the City of Lenoir and the Town of Granite Falls since it began distributing public water in the early 1970's. The county entered a contractual purchase agreement with the City of Hickory (with delivery through the Alexander County water system) approximately two years ago.
For more information please call Karen Maye at 828-757-6865