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Belmont councilman doesn't want Whitewater Center water in the Catawba River

BELMONT, N.C. — Belmont City Councilman Richard Turner wants a judge to stop Charlotte's Whitewater Center from releasing water into the Catawba River.
 
Facility officials said that water would be treated to kill a brain-eating amoeba but Turner said the risk to the drinking supply is too high.

I just received a post asking about an injunction to stop or delay the release from the USNWC. I spoke with the city...

Posted by Richard Turner on Sunday, July 17, 2016

Belmont City Manager Adrian Miller said the entire council has to sign off on it and if they do, it could be that much longer until rafting at the center reopens.
 
The drinking water supply is a concern to a Turner who on Facebook said the city is considering filing an injunction to delay the release of the water sitting in the center's lower pool.
A plan has been considered to release it onto land near Long Creek that could run off to the creek and eventually into the Catawba River but that's after it's been hyper-chlorinated and dechlorinated.
Belmont has joined officials in other cities like Rock Hill and Mount Holly with wanting a foolproof plan the amoeba won't get into our water supply.
 
A timeline hasn't been set on when the discussion could continue but in the meantime, Miller said they are still working with Mecklenburg County to ensure a safe water-release plan.
 
Until that lower pool at the Whitewater Center is cleaned, the facility's channels can't reopen.

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