Business
Corpus Christi Hires Water Director
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Corpus Christi has hired a new water director after supply issues including a chemical leak prompted a four-day water usage ban in December. City officials Monday announced the appointment of Clarence Wittwer as water director. Wittwer most recently served as deputy ass..
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Named Utility Customer Champion
Market Strategies International has named Oklahoma Gas & Electric a Utility Customer Champion in its recently announced Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ study. OG&E achieved the Utility Customer Champion designation after receiving a score of 745 on the ECR index, a score that pu..
Utilities Move to Save Merger Amid Criticism
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri-based utility sought Monday to rescue its proposal to buy Kansas’ largest electric company amid strong criticism that their $12.2 billion deal is too rich and would create a larger but financially weakened firm with consumers on the hook for its problems. An attorney ..
Utility Improves Lead Testing
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) is implementing a new streamlined process for handling lead test kit requests, which will improve the integration of lead test data gathered from the certified contract labs and enable PWSA to provide more accurate and timely feedback to customers. Eff..
New Jersey American Water Investing in New Main Installation Project
New Jersey American Water will invest approximately $800,000 to install new water mains along North Avenue from Forest Road to Morse Avenue in Fanwood. The project includes the installation of approximately 2,720 feet of new 12-inch ductile iron pipes to replace aging pipes, as well as 55 utility-ow..
Sewer District Awards $7.2 million for Infrastructure Improvements
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Trustees recently awarded $7.2 million to 12 communities as part of the agency’s newly-launched Member Community Infrastructure Program (MCIP). The MCIP assists communities with local infrastructure improvements — including new sewer infrastructure, repairs to..
New Jersey American Water Invests $1.8 Million for Main Replacement
Beginning this week, New Jersey American Water will be investing approximately $1.8 million in new water mains in its service area of Lakewood. The approximate 5,400 feet of new pipe replaces water main that was installed as far back as the 1920s. The aging 4-, 6- and 8-inch water lines will be repl..
Pennsylvania American Water Kicks Off Scholarship Program
Pennsylvania American Water is now accepting applications for its 2017 Stream of Learning Scholarship Program to provide financial assistance to high school seniors who are planning to pursue careers in the water and wastewater industry. The program is designed to support outstanding students living..
ADS Unveils New Stormwater Pipe Technology
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., has revealed its latest breakthrough in stormwater pipe technology, HPXR™ 75. This new technology provides heightened levels of stiffness, is available in a range of sizes, and yields significant cost benefits for customers compared to alternative products. “The HPX..
McElroy Partners with Netafim to Grow HDPE Equipment Business
McElroy and Netafim have joined forces to meet the demand for HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipeline solutions serving the irrigation industry and the growing opportunities in potable water and natural gas. “We are excited about the many benefits McElroy machines will bring to our growing operat..
WRF Releases Results From Direct Potable Reuse Study
The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a leading sponsor of potable reuse research, has released interim results from the ongoing study, “Blending Requirements for Water from Direct Potable Reuse Treatment Facilities” (#4536). The objective of this project is to provide guidance for the appropriate us..
Controversial BLM Rule Could Stimulate Gathering Line Construction
It is not often that a federal regulatory dictate is good for one section of the oil and gas industry but bad for another. But the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is part of the Department of Interior, manages to create that divergence with its November final rule which affects nearly 100,000..
Interior Gas Utility Board Approves Merger
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — The board of directors for Interior Gas Utility has agreed to purchase Fairbanks Natural Gas from the state for more than $58 million. As part of the deal approved Tuesday, Interior Gas Utility would also get a processing plant in Point Mackenzie and transportation trucks. ..
Water Council Establishes ICE Institute Focused On Technology
The Water Council, headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, launched a groundbreaking commercialization initiative that will match manufacturers, utilities and the agricultural industry with promising water and water-related technology research and innovations for advancement into the marketplace. The ICE (..
Missouri PSC Sets Deadline for Proposed Water and Sewer System Sale
Lake Region Water & Sewer Co. and Camden County Public Water Supply District Number Four have filed a joint application with the Missouri Public Service Commission seeking authorization for Camden County to acquire Lake Region’s existing water and sewer assets. Applications to intervene and partici..
American Water and New Jersey Village Begin Water Partnership
The Township of South Orange Village and American Water, the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, have formed a new partnership to deliver clean water to residents and businesses in South Orange, N.J. The long-term partnership consists of a 30-year water sales agre..
Pennsylvania American Water Acquires Scranton Wastewater System
Pennsylvania American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water, has completed the acquisition of the wastewater system assets of the Scranton Sewer Authority (SSA). The purchase price is approximately $195 million. The newly acquired system provides wastewater service to approximately 31,..
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. Acquires the Empire District Electric Company
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. has announced that a subsidiary of Liberty Utilities Co., Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. wholly-owned regulated utility business, successfully completed its acquisition of the Empire District Electric Company for an aggregate purchase price of approximate..
Martin Herrenknecht Receives the Werner von Siemens Ring
Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht accepted the Werner von Siemens Ring – one of the most prestigious technical engineering awards – on December 13, 2016 in the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities for his work in the development of innovative tunnel boring machines and groundb..
Fitch Ratings: U.S. Water and Sewer Outlook Stable Despite Uncertain Regulatory Environment
Fitch Ratings has released the “2017 Outlook: Water and Sewer Sector.” According to the report, the 2017 rating for the municipal water and sewer sector is Stable. “Despite significant news this year related to lead water service lines in Flint, MI, the municipal water and sewer industry is otherwi..
Kirby-Smith Names Woody Ferrell Pipeline Services Account Manager
Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. has appointed Woody Ferrell as Account Manager – Pipeline Services Division. In this role, Ferrell will focus on developing relationships within the oil and gas pipeline construction industry, and represent Kirby-Smith nationally as the company expands its presence in th..
PHMSA Appoints 24 Members to Pipeline Safety Working Group
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today appointed 24 members to the pipeline safety Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group. The newly created advisory committee that will provide the Secretary of Tran..
Utility Business Customer Relationships Strengthen to Record Levels
Utilities have strengthened their relationships with their business customers to a record high score of 780 (on a 1000-point scale), according to Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Commercial, a Cogent Reports™ study from Market Strategies International published today. This is a signifi..
CGA Names Sarah K. Magruder Lyle 2nd President in Organization’s 16-Year History
The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has selected Sarah K. Magruder Lyle as its second president, effective Jan. 23, 2017. Magruder Lyle will replace Bob Kipp, who has served as CGA’s president since the organization’s inception in 2000. Kipp’s term as president will officially end in late April, creat..
Michels Upgrades Sewer and Catch Basin Cleaning Service
Michels Pipe Services has added a cost-effective, environmentally sound approach to sewer and catch basin cleaning in the Midwest. The service augments Michels’ comprehensive water and sewer maintenance and rehabilitation services throughout the nation. Michels recently purchased eight Camel 1200 w..
Altice USA Unveils Full-Scale Fiber-to-the-Home Network Investment Plan
Altice USA, a subsidiary of Altice N.V., a leading global telecommunications, media and entertainment company, plans to invest further in the U.S. by building a next-generation fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps across its footprint. Altice USA will ext..
Colorado Celebrates “Water Research Foundation Day”
Colorado Governor John W. Hickenlooper proclaimed December 5, 2016 “Water Research Foundation Day,” in honor of The Water Research Foundation, a leading sponsor of innovative research supporting the water community. Originally based in New York, WRF has been a member of the Colorado business commun..
Energy Company Plans to Close Michigan Nuclear Plant in 2018
COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — An energy company announced plans Thursday to permanently close the Palisades nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan in 2018, which could mean hundreds of job cuts for a major employer in the region if regulators approve the closure. New Orleans-based Entergy Cor..
Florida DEP Awards $150,000 Grant for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded a $150,000 grant for wastewater infrastructure improvements in Midway to eliminate failing septic tanks and provide sewer services. The project was funded through a 2016-17 state legislative appropriation. “We are pleased to partne..
Chairman of Colorado PUC Announces Resignation
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — The head of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission has announced his resignation. The Pueblo Chieftain reports (http://bit.ly/2gCzQkc ) that Chairman Joshua Epel announced Tuesday that he will resign two years ahead of the end of his most recent term. His last day will be Jan..
- 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