Catawba County News
Catawba County 101: Utilities & Engineering
Published: July 01, 2024
MAKING. LIVING. BETTER: UTILITIES & ENGINEERING
What is its mission/purpose?
Our mission is to provide the citizens of Catawba County the opportunity to live, work, and recreate in a clean and safe environment through coordinating and managing solid waste, utilities, and building services and ensuring that programs are economically viable and environmentally friendly.
How do you achieve your mission – what services are offered?
The Utilities and Engineering Department consists of several divisions: Building Services, Erosion Control and Stormwater, Local Code Compliance, Solid Waste, and Water and Sewer.
We achieve our mission by supporting County management goals for community development and program improvement. By maintaining partnerships with municipal utility providers, we serve to meet the needs for services in the unincorporated areas of the county.
Who does this department/service area/program serve?
U&E serves all citizens of Catawba County. The Solid Waste and Landfill division provides waste and recycling services to everyone. The other divisions (Building Services, Stormwater, Local Code Compliance, and Water & Sewer) provide services to those living in the unincorporated areas of the county. If someone is building a home, needs new utilities, or needs help with an issue in their neighborhood, our department is here to assist them.
How and where are services delivered?
Many of our services are brought to the citizens where needed. Our field technicians and engineers will go out to evaluate projects on site, whether it’s to inspect a new home or it’s to deal with an erosion complaint. Citizens seeking permits for new builds can come to the Government Center or can now go online to our new SmartGov system to apply for permits, pay fees, and request inspections. For solid waste and recycling, the county has five convenient center sites located in unincorporated areas to provide disposal services for anyone, whether they have a curbside program for their home or not.
How many staff members are involved in delivering services?
U&E has 66 full time employees and 5 hourly employees.
How does our community and/or organization benefit from these services?
U&E promotes adequate, reliable, and economical utility services while ensuring just and reasonable rates. We facilitate the construction of facilities to extend services to unserved areas and assure that we plan for future growth to be both financially viable and environmentally friendly.
Please share anything unique or interesting about this program you would want people to know.
Catawba County is currently ranked #2 in the state for household recycling. We recycle 252 pounds per person!