Business
Companies Install First Intelligent Wastewater Pumping System in North America
Xylem and DC Water today announced they have successfully completed the first installation of Xylem’s Flygt Concertor, the world’s first wastewater pumping system with integrated intelligence, in North America. The Flygt Concertor significantly advances the sustainability of the wastewater sector b..
San Diego County Water Authority Project Wins Award
The San Diego County Water Authority’s $1.5 billion Emergency & Carryover Storage Project, built to protect the region from droughts and catastrophic disruptions to imported water supplies, has received the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers...
Indiana American Water Invests More Than $57 Million in Distribution System Improvements
Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, today announced that it replaced nearly 41 miles of aging water mains and rehabilitated 10 water tanks in its service areas in 2016. This investment of more than $57 million last year in approximately 260 separate projects across Indiana will i..
CASE Issues Call for Entries for Equipment Grant
CASE Construction Equipment has issued a call for entries for their 2017 Dire States Equipment Grant. Beginning in 2016, this is the second time that CASE has offered the grant, which provides one winning community with $25,000 in free equipment use to help offset the costs of building or repairing ..
Report: Global Sewer and Water Utilities Market to Grow Through 2021
According to the latest procurement intelligence report from Technavio, the global water and sewer utilities market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 5% over the next five years due to the growing importance of grey water utilization. “Greywater recycling systems collect and treat the used..
Massachusetts Public Works Honors Two Employees
Two underground construction employees were honored by the Cambridge Department of Public Works for their work in the third and fourth quarters of 2016 on March 8, 2017. Michael Abcunas, a Sewer Use Compliance Officer, and Paulo Almeida, a Construction Utility Inspector/Lic., received the organizat..
People In The News: March 2017
VacuWorx Vacuworx Global appointed Rob Verwilligen as European business director. Based in the Netherlands, he will manage sales and service, partner agreements and logistics for Vacuworx Europe. Verwilligen has more than 20 years of experience developing sales relationships in the European market..
ADS President to Retire This Year
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has announced that Joseph A. Chlapaty intends to retire as the company’s President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board by the end of 2017. As part of the company’s succession plan, its Board of Directors has created a search committee and has hired rec..
New Jersey American Water Invests $2.6 Million in System Improvements
New Jersey American Water is investing over $2.6 million in new water mains in its service areas in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. The approximate 13,650 feet of new pipe replaces water main that was installed as far back as the 1910s. The aging water lines will be replaced with ductile iron pipes...
Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association Names New President
The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association has selected Patrick J. Hogan as President, bringing national expertise in governmental affairs to an industry group whose members champion the safe delivery of water through reliable infrastructure systems. Hogan has served in senior positions for..
Henkels & McCoy Names New VP – Executive Sponsor
Henkels & McCoy, Inc. has promoted Elsaid Wahba to the position of Vice President – Executive Sponsor. In this capacity, Wahba will be responsible for managing the Pipeline Division Project Management Office, which handles executive project sponsorship and management, business and proposal developme..
Armtec to Invest Millions in Large Diameter HDPE Pipe
Armtec is investing millions of dollars in equipment to manufacture large diameter high density polyethylene storm sewer pipe for the public and private infrastructure markets across Canada. The equipment will produce flexible pipe with bell and gasket joints, and will be certified to the appropriat..
People In The News
Toro The Toro Company has named Rick Rodier vice president of Sitework Systems Business. Rodier has been with Toro since 1987 and has held a variety of operational, marketing and business management roles, most recently as general manager of Sitework. He was also named the 2017 chairperson for The ..
PMI to Focus on Safe Water, Infrastructure in 2017
Plumbing Manufacturers International is focusing its 2017 advocacy on a series of efforts intended to educate policymakers about potential threats to safe drinking water, and the need for a restored national water infrastructure. While communications between PMI and policymakers about these issues ..
ARCOS Unveils Technology to Help Utilities Track Crews in Real Time
At the 14th annual ARCOS Conference, ARCOS® LLC announced it is adding Location Services technology to its Software-as-a-Service solutions to map the real-time location of utility crews. With Location Services, utility managers can continuously track users of the ARCOS Mobile app and store their loc..
New Jersey American Water Invests $3.1 Million in New Water Mains
Beginning this month, New Jersey American Water will invest $3.1 million in new water mains in Morris and Somerset counties. The project, which will take place in Bernardsville, Chatham Township and Mendham, includes approximately 10,700 feet of new pipe that will replace water main that was instal..
Primoris Wins California Sewer Contract
Primoris Services Corporation has received a contract, valued at approximately $89 million, for the construction of a new sewer force main in Marina Del Rey from the City of Los Angeles. The contract was secured by Vadnais, part of the company’s West Construction Services segment. The scope of work..
California American Water Names New President
California and Hawaii American Water have named Richard Svindland their new president, effective March 1, 2017. Svindland replaces Robert MacLean, who has served as president of California American Water since 2009. MacLean will now become senior vice president of American Water’s Eastern Division, ..
Many Positives From Common Ground Alliance DIRT Report
The latest Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) report released in October 2016 by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) contained the good news that efforts to reduce accidental damage to the nation’s underground utility infrastructure and build awareness of the free 811 service are making significa..
Maine Utility Regulators to Consider $1.5B FairPoint Sale
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine utility regulators are ready to delve into details of the proposed $1.5 billion sale of FairPoint Communications, the country’s eighth-largest phone and internet company. Consolidated Communications, based in Illinois, announced in December it was buying FairPoint, assum..
Primoris Bags 3 Electric Transmission and Distribution Contracts
Primoris Services Corporation has received three new utilities and distribution contracts worth more than $74 million. The contracts were secured by the underground division of ARB, Inc., part of the company’s West Construction Services segment. The projects are located in Southern California and i..
West Virginia American Water Names New President
West Virginia American Water has named Brian Bruce its new president, effective March 1, 2017. Bruce replaces Jeffrey McIntyre, who has been named Senior Vice President of American Water’s Mid-Atlantic Division, encompassing Pennsylvania and West Virginia. McIntyre will also become President of Penn..
Contract for Water Pipeline Condition Assessment Extended
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has extended its contract with Echologics for pipeline condition assessment services for an additional one-year term. This is the second extension of the contract between WSSC and Echologics. Echologics, a Mueller Technologies company, has assessed more t..
Senate Confirms Scott Pruitt to Lead EPA
WASHINGTON (AP) — Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Friday won Senate confirmation to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a federal agency he repeatedly sued to rein in its reach during the Obama administration. The vote was 52-46 as Republican leaders used their party’s narrow Senate..
Sterling Construction Names New President
Sterling Construction Company Inc.’s Board of Directors has elected Joseph A. Cutillo as President, effective immediately. Cutillo had previously served as Sterling’s Executive Vice President Chief Business Development Officer. Cutillo has nearly 30 years of executive management experience and a de..
APCA Looks To Strong Future
The American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA) closed out the year 2016 stronger than ever and with a high level of optimism for the energy policies of a new president and administration. “Over the past 12 to 18 months, APCA members were involved in building the majority of new natural gas in..
Utility Recognizes Innovative Employees
Through its annual Innovation Awards program, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation recently recognized 68 employees who implemented 41 improvement projects in 2016 that provided tangible benefits for Central Hudson and its customers. “Innovation is a core value at Central Hudson, and one our e..
Utility Saves 100 Million Gallons of Water in 2016
Maine Water announced that it pumped and treated 100 million fewer gallons of water in 2016 than it did the previous year, while still delivering the same amount of water to its customers. Judy Wallingford, president of Maine Water, said most water distribution systems across Maine and New En..
In Memoriam: Glen Barton, Winston Johnson
Glen Barton, former Caterpillar Inc. chairman and CEO, died Oct. 24, 2016, in Peoria, IL, at age 77 Barton retired in 2004 after nearly 43 years of Caterpillar service. Starting as a college graduate trainee and rising through the ranks in numerous marketing, general management and executive positi..
Forterra Acquires Royal Enterprises America
Forterra, Inc., a leading manufacturer of water infrastructure pipe and products in the United States and Eastern Canada, has acquired the business of Royal Enterprises America, a manufacturer of concrete drainage pipe, precast concrete products, stormwater treatment technologies and erosion control..

- 290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
- $227 million Garnet Valley water project advances, set to create 73,000 jobs in Nevada
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
- Construction underway for $1.4 billion, 60-mile water pipeline in Chicago
- Worker dies after trench collapse at sewer project site in Norwich, Conn.
- Gehl and Mustang offer world’s largest skid loader
- Growing Pains and Gains
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish