October 2025 Vol. 80 No. 10
Newsline
Newsline: Latest industry developments
$283 million Black Creek sewer upgrade expands Toronto sewers
Canada’s federal government has announced a $283 million investment to expand and modernize Toronto’s Black Creek sewer system, one of the city’s largest wastewater infrastructure upgrades in decades.
According to the Government of Canada, the funding comes through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) and will be matched by $425 million from the city of Toronto. The project will add about 10.5 miles (17 kilometers) of new underground infrastructure to increase capacity, reduce flooding and support long-term housing growth in the Downsview area.
Built in the 1960s, the Black Creek trunk sewer currently serves more than 350,000 residents, but population growth has pushed it beyond capacity. The expansion will help protect water quality and unlock development for up to 63,000 new homes, while supporting more than 65,000 jobs in construction and related industries.
The Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund is providing up to $6 billion nationwide for core public infrastructure projects, including water, wastewater, and stormwater systems that enable housing and population growth in fast-developing regions.
Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 start for 807-mile pipeline
Glenfarne Alaska LNG says it expects to begin construction on its planned 807-mile natural gas pipeline in late 2026, with operations targeted for mid-2029. According to Alaska's News Source, the company outlined the timeline following a recent meeting between Glenfarne Alaska LNG President Adam Prestidge and Japanese Consul Kiyohiko Hamada in Anchorage, signaling ongoing international interest in the project’s progress.
The proposed pipeline, part of the broader Alaska LNG export initiative, would follow much of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline corridor and transport an estimated 3.5 Bcfg/d from Alaska’s North Slope to the Kenai Peninsula for liquefaction and export. The project aims to strengthen long-term energy cooperation between Alaska and Japan while expanding U.S. LNG export capacity to Pacific markets.
According to the company, the construction schedule aligns with earlier projections from U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who has said the Alaska LNG pipeline could begin construction in 2026, Alaska's News Source reported. However, federal permitting records show three key approvals remain pending.
The pipeline’s advancement comes amid tightening state budgets and shifting energy economics. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy recently cited falling oil prices and reduced revenue as major fiscal challenges, while lawmakers continue to highlight LNG infrastructure as a potential driver of future growth.
Despite optimism, the project still faces regulatory, financial, and environmental hurdles. Previous LNG pipeline proposals in Alaska have been delayed or canceled over similar challenges. Glenfarne has not yet disclosed updated cost estimates or financing details for the project.
Birmingham's $183 million pipe repair plan delayed by mayor's conditions
A plan to secure more than $180 million in funding to replace and repair Birmingham’s aging water infrastructure is on hold as city officials and the Central Alabama Water Works Board continue negotiations over spending priorities and oversight, according to a local ABC News affiliate.
The Water Works Board is seeking approval for a $183 million loan to finance large-scale pipe replacement and system improvements, ABC News reported. While Mayor Randall Woodfin expressed support for the goal of modernizing Birmingham’s water network, he said his backing for the loan depends on several conditions.
In a public statement, Woodfin said he would not approve the funding package without assurances that there would be no rate increases for residents, greater inclusion of minority-owned contractors in project bids and a reduction in legal fees and outside consulting costs.
The city council has not yet voted on the proposal. If approved, the loan would represent one of the largest infrastructure investments in Birmingham’s recent history, aimed at replacing decades-old pipes and improving system reliability across the metropolitan area.
Iowa counties petition court over pipeline safety authority
Story and Shelby counties in Iowa have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review their case challenging federal preemption of local pipeline safety ordinances – the latest development in a multiyear legal dispute involving Summit Carbon Solutions and its planned carbon sequestration pipeline across the state.
According to KCCI News, the counties originally adopted ordinances in 2022 establishing setback requirements and other safety-related provisions for the project. Summit Carbon Solutions sued soon after, arguing that federal law under the Pipeline Safety Act supersedes local regulations governing pipeline safety.
A federal judge ruled in Summit’s favor in 2023, barring the counties from enforcing the ordinances. That decision was upheld by a federal appeals court in June 2025, which reaffirmed that local governments cannot impose safety standards on pipelines regulated under federal law.
In their petition, the counties’ attorneys asked the Supreme Court to resolve what they described as “a square conflict over what counts as a preempted ‘safety standard’ under the Pipeline Safety Act," KCCI News reported.
Summit Carbon Solutions has not commented publicly on the petition. The company’s proposed pipeline would transport captured carbon dioxide across multiple Midwest states to underground storage sites, part of a growing network of carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure under federal review.
Gateway Commission extends $665 million contract for Hudson Tunnel Project
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has awarded MPA Delivery Partners – a joint venture of Mace, Parsons Corporation and Arcadis – a $665 million, 4.5-year contract extension to continue managing construction of the Hudson Tunnel Project, a massive engineering effort that includes building two new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River and rehabilitating the existing 115-year-old structure.
The extension supports ongoing tunneling and infrastructure work on what is considered the most critical rail project in the United States, according to a company statement.
The project is on schedule for the new Gateway Tunnel’s completion in 2035, followed by rehabilitation of the existing tunnel by 2038. In total, the Hudson Tunnel Project is expected to create more than 95,000 jobs and generate $19 billion in economic activity nationwide.
The Hudson Tunnel Project, a cornerstone of the Gateway Program, spans nine miles of new passenger rail infrastructure between New York and New Jersey. It aims to improve passenger service reliability for NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak while enhancing long-term resilience of the Northeast Corridor’s aging underground network.
$2.3 billion approved to construct 236-mile Texas-to-Gulf gas pipeline
ARM Energy Holdings LLC has reached a final investment decision on its $2.3 billion Mustang Express Pipeline project, developed in partnership with Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) and co-investors. The 236-mile, 42-inch natural gas pipeline will connect key Texas gas hubs to the expanding Gulf Coast LNG corridor.
The Mustang Express system will consist of two main segments – the 178-mile Mustang Mainline from Katy to Port Arthur and the 55-mile Cougar Lateral linking Tres Palacios Storage to the Katy Hub. A three-mile lateral will connect to storage facilities in the Port Arthur area. Together, the pipelines will have a capacity of 2.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).
ARM Energy said the project has secured steel supply from Jindal Tubular USA and turbine capacity from Solar Turbines Inc. for three compressor stations totaling 300,000 horsepower. Construction is expected to begin following regulatory approvals, with completion anticipated in late 2028 or early 2029.
Sempra Infrastructure has committed as an anchor shipper on the system to supply its Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 project, which recently reached FID. ARM Energy plans to launch an open season later this month for remaining capacity.
PG&E completes 1,000 miles of undergrounding in California
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has completed 1,000 miles of underground powerlines in high fire–risk areas of Northern and Central California. The milestone is part of the utility’s ongoing effort to reduce wildfire ignition risk, which also includes stronger overhead poles, covered wires, and vegetation management.
Since 2023, PG&E estimates that its system-hardening measures have cut wildfire ignition risk across its grid by 8.4%. Undergrounding projects are now serving customers in 27 counties, with the largest concentrations in Butte and Shasta counties. By 2026, the company expects to reach 1,600 miles of buried powerlines, which it says would reduce overall system wildfire risk by 18 percent.
PG&E reports that the cost of undergrounding has fallen from $4 million per mile in 2021 to $3.1 million in 2025, with further reductions anticipated through new equipment, local contractor hiring and more efficient construction methods.
Thames Water removes 90-ton ‘fatberg’ clogging west London sewer
A massive 100-tonne (90-ton) blockage has been removed from a sewer beneath Feltham in west London, according to a BBC report. The congealed mass — a so-called “fatberg” — was lodged more than 10 meters (33 feet) underground and took Thames Water engineers over a month to clear.
Weighing roughly the same as eight double-decker buses, the obstruction was made up of wet wipes bound together by cooking fat, oil, and grease. Crews accessed the pipe through a large manhole and used high-powered jets, chisels, and vacuum equipment to dislodge the 125-meter (410-foot)-long clog before lifting the debris into skips for disposal, as reported by the BBC.
The cleanup comes shortly after Thames Water partnered with Thames21 and the Port of London Authority to remove a buildup of wet wipes and sludge along the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge. The company says it tackles an average of 75,000 blockages each year, costing about £18 million ($24 million), with the majority caused by wet wipes that don’t break down in water.
Kauaʻi water utility unveils $1.3 billion plan to rebuild aging system
The Kauaʻi Department of Water has proposed a $1.3 billion overhaul of the island’s century-old water system, citing urgent needs to protect drinking water supplies, reduce wildfire risk and support affordable housing development.
The draft plan, developed over three years, outlines 150 projects, with 70 prioritized for completion in the next 20 years at a cost of $680 million, according to a Civil Beat report. Utility manager Joseph Tait said the lack of system connections leaves much of the island vulnerable, referencing last summer’s South Kauaʻi fire that came dangerously close to neighborhoods.
The utility, which has not raised rates in 12 years, expects to seek a significant increase alongside federal and state funding. Approval from the state Commission on Water Resource Management is expected to be sought in early 2026.
Officials emphasized that the plan is critical to shifting from reactive maintenance to systematic upgrades and to providing the infrastructure needed for both wildfire protection and long-delayed housing projects.
Avangrid unveils $18.5 billion plan to strengthen U.S. grid, gas infrastructure
Avangrid, Inc. has announced plans to invest $18.5 billion in U.S. electric and gas infrastructure by 2028, with a focus on reinforcing utility networks in New York and New England.
The bulk of the spending will go toward rebuilding aging infrastructure, expanding grid capacity to support advanced manufacturing and data centers, and hardening systems against severe storms. Avangrid said the investments will help avoid escalating storm restoration costs, improve service reliability, and enhance resiliency for its 3.4 million utility customers.
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