June 2025 Vol. 80 No. 6
Newsline
Newsline: Latest industry developments
$227 million Garnet Valley water project advances in Nevada
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) board has approved $227 million in construction contracts for a major infrastructure project that will support development at the Apex Industrial Complex in North Las Vegas.
The Garnet Valley Water and Wastewater Systems, a joint effort between SNWA and the city of North Las Vegas, is expected to deliver 20 million gallons of water per day once complete. Construction began earlier this year.
The newly approved contracts include construction of the water transmission system, sewer pipeline and wastewater infrastructure.
Officials estimate the fully built-out Apex development will create 73,000 jobs and bring in $7 billion in private investment over the next two decades. The associated tax revenue is expected to fund public services like police, parks, libraries and roads.
Huntsville, Ala., plans sewer rate hike to cover $150 million in upgrades
The city of Huntsville, Ala., is proposing a sewer rate increase to help pay for $150 million in upgrades to its aging wastewater system. The rate increase would be the first in two decades.
If approved, the average residential sewer bill would rise from $24.15 to $29.15 per month, still below the state average of $52.14, according to the city of Huntsville. The proposal includes additional one dollar increases each year starting in 2026 through 2034. By then the average monthly bill would be $39.15.
The city says the rate changes would support a $150 million investment in its sewer collection system and five wastewater treatment facilities over the next 10 years. Officials say reinvestment is necessary to maintain system reliability and meet regulatory requirements, especially since parts of the infrastructure date back to the 1950s.
290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina
Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in the United States, introduced plans for a multibillion-dollar expansion of its existing natural gas pipeline system in the southeastern U.S.
The proposal, currently under review, calls for the addition of 14 new pipeline segments totaling approximately 290 miles. These lines would stretch across Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. The plan also includes upgrades to 13 compressor stations and the installation of four new metering facilities to manage and measure gas flow.
“This is an expansion of an existing natural gas pipeline system that we have operated in Georgia for over 50 years,” said Allen Fore, vice president of Kinder Morgan. “It’s designed to increase natural gas supply for the region.”
Branded as the “South System 4 Expansion,” the project is being positioned as necessary to meet long-term energy demand, even for those who don’t directly use natural gas at home.
Some property owners in Jefferson County have expressed concern about how the project might interfere with future land use. In recent public forums, Kinder Morgan has emphasized its willingness to work with landowners to accommodate specific needs.
If regulatory approvals are granted, construction could begin in the coming years, with operations expected to start between 2028 and 2029.
EPA lifts emergency order on Flint, Mich., water, restoring standard lead monitoring
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially lifted the emergency order placed on the City of Flint under the Safe Drinking Water Act, nearly a decade after the water crisis began. The announcement, made on May 19, confirms that Flint's water system is now in full compliance with federal lead standards.
The 2016 order required the city and the State of Michigan to implement several corrective actions. According to the EPA, Flint has met or exceeded all federal requirements, marking a key milestone in the city’s ongoing recovery.
Since the order was issued, Flint has implemented a corrosion control plan to reduce lead leaching, remained below federal lead action levels for eight consecutive years, and replaced over 97 percent of its lead service lines. The city has also modernized operations, expanded its team of certified water operators, and built a backup water line to increase long-term reliability.
With the order lifted, regulatory oversight returns to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, which will continue working with the city to monitor long-term compliance.
SCE wildfire plan calls for 260 miles of new underground lines
Southern California Edison (SCE) has filed its 2026-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) with California’s Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, outlining $6.2 billion in grid safety improvements, including major undergrounding and covered conductor upgrades.
The three-year plan proposes installing at least 260 circuit miles of new underground distribution lines and 440 miles of covered conductor. The undergrounding effort is a central strategy to reduce ignition risks in high fire-threat areas.
The plan also includes expanding early fault detection systems, vegetation monitoring through remote sensing, and AI-enhanced grid inspections. SCE plans to use alternative undergrounding methods, such as placing protected lines at ground level when trenching is impractical, to speed up hardening efforts.
Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
In a recent Albuquerque City Council meeting, officials put forth a resolution to stop all fiber optic construction in the city, amid growing complaints from residents about damage and disruption due to improper installation by fiber optic contractors. The resolution proposes a temporary moratorium on the acceptance of new fiber internet installation permits and the creation of a working group to thoroughly reevaluate the city’s current permitting criteria and other required standards.
City Councilor Dan Champine highlighted that the extensive installation activities taking place in neighborhoods, side streets and major roads have generated significant disruption and numerous complaints from residents. These complaints include concerns regarding inadequate notice of construction, improper marking of work zones, damage to utilities and landscaping, delayed cleanup of excavated materials, untimely pothole repairs, and work being conducted outside of permitted hours.
“While the City does not perform the installation work itself, it is responsible for ensuring that all projects are properly permitted and adhere to necessary standards,” said Councilor Champine. “These installations are carried out by private fiber providers and their contracted crews, who operate under license agreements with the city and must comply with city construction specifications and ordinances, including the Street Excavation Ordinance.”
According to the Albuquerque Journal, the latest stop-work order has been issued to Ezee Fiber. Stop-work orders were previously issued to two other contractors – Gigafiber, who has since come into compliance, and Vexus Fiber, who is still unable to continue installation.
$77 million Western Trunk sewer line project begins in Lakeland, Fla.
The city of Lakeland, Fla., Water Utilities Department kicked off construction earlier this month for its largest infrastructure project to date, according to LkldNow. Construction crews have begun work to upgrade the Western Trunk Gravity Sewer line, which handles approximately 3.5 million gallons of wastewater per day.
The project will increase the wastewater line's capacity and realign sewer lines away from residential areas in Oakhill, Colonial and Citrus Center mobile home parks. This phase spans approximately 12,800 feet of linear feet of sewer main and 43 manhole covers, LkldNow reported. The work is projected to take around 20 months to complete.
The project will cost an estimated $77.7 million, more than quadruple the $17.8 million Lakeland spent to build the Northeast Water Treatment Facility on Old Combee Road over 20 years ago.
The Western Trunk Line is a gravity sewer that carries about 3.5 million gallons of wastewater a day, although that volume can swell to almost 20 million gallons after major rains.
The Western Trunk Line was built in the 1950s as a 36-inch, non-reinforced concrete pipeline. The new sewer line will be 42 inches in diameter.
Workers will have to dig trenches from 7 to 25 feet deep and install 43 manholes and about 12,800 linear ft of sewer main at precise downward angles so gravity can carry the waste.
According to Water Utilities Engineering Manager Robby Kniss, it is a generational project that should last for the next 100 years.
Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
Pasadena, Calif.’s, plan to bury all overhead utility lines – launched more than 50 years ago – is progressing so slowly it may not wrap until the year 2525.
Known as the Underground Utility Program, the initiative began in 1968 and is currently moving at a pace of just 0.5 to 0.7 miles per year. The effort, meant to improve aesthetics and reduce risks from falling poles and power-line-related wildfires, has completed about 46 miles so far. That leaves more than 100 miles to go – les in major corridors and another 79 miles in residential areas.
Pasadena Water and Power estimates that Category 1 work could take another century to complete, while the second phase might take an additional 400 years. The full effort is projected to cost around $2 billion and is funded through a utility surcharge.
By comparison, investor-owned utilities like PG&E and CenterPoint Energy have completed hundreds of underground miles in just a few years. Pasadena officials cite higher costs, complex permitting, and coordination challenges with telecom companies as contributing factors to the timeline.
Phase Two of Dimock, Pa., public water project begins
Construction is underway on the next phase of a new public water system in Dimock Township, Susquehanna County, according to Pennsylvania American Water. The work includes the installation of a six-mile distribution pipeline that will serve homes affected by longstanding groundwater contamination issues.
The multi-year project stems from a 2022 settlement agreement between the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Coterra Energy, which designated Pennsylvania American Water to design and build the new system. The system includes a four-stage treatment process to remove contaminants from groundwater.
Pipeline installation will occur along Dimock to Nicholson Road (SR3023), Dimock to Brooklyn Road (SR2024), Carter Road, and Meshoppen Creek Road. Lane restrictions and temporary road closures are expected during construction, with crews providing alternative routes where needed.
In addition to pipeline construction, service lines will be connected to individual homes. Once complete, existing private well connections will be permanently disconnected to prevent cross-contamination.
The final paving and road restoration is expected in early 2026, with full water system construction anticipated to wrap by mid-2026.
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