Legal
Ottawa, Canada contractor strikes 11 gas lines over 15-month span during tunnel, pipeline work
Thomas Cavanagh Construction Limited has pleaded guilty to five safety violations after damaging multiple gas lines during a series of tunnel and pipeline upgrade projects in Ottawa.
Texas lawmakers propose billions for water infrastructure overhaul
A key proposal, Senate Bill 7, would fund new water sources such as desalination and aquifer storage rather than relying on groundwater transfers from rural areas to cities.
Greenpeace must pay $667 million to Energy Transfer over pipeline protests, jury finds
A jury announced on Wednesday that Greenpeace is required to pay nearly $667 million in damages to Energy Transfer, a Texas-based pipeline company, due to the environmental group's involvement in protests against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016-2017.
Supreme Court backs San Francisco in Clean Water Act case, limits EPA authority on sewage discharge
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in favor of San Francisco on March 4, 2025, ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot hold the city accountable for water quality conditions it cannot control.
NEDC sues Cannon Beach, Ore., as aging sewer system presents public health risks
The Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC) has filed a federal Clean Water Act (CWA) lawsuit against the City of Cannon Beach, Oregon, in an effort to protect local residents and visitors from dangerously high levels of bacteria in local creeks and beaches.
$100 million agreement ends lawsuit, pushing $2 billion Colorado reservoir project forward
A long-disputed reservoir project in Northern Colorado is moving forward after a legal settlement between Northern Water and the environmental group Save the Poudre.
Georgetown, S.C., sues Fiber Industries over PFAS contamination in water supply
The lawsuit alleges these "forever chemicals" have infiltrated Georgetown's water and wastewater systems, requiring substantial upgrades to the city’s legacy treatment facilities, which cannot remove PFAS.
Sen. Ossoff's law to upgrade East Point, Ga., water infrastructure signed
The law expands an existing authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support water infrastructure projects in East Point, with the goal of improving quality of life and enhancing resilience in the city.
Buc-ee’s construction resumes in Ohio following water and sewer agreement
Construction on the highly anticipated Buc-ee’s store in Montgomery County, Ohio, is back on track after Huber Heights City Council and Clark County finalized a water and sewer service agreement.
New York’s Erie County Water Authority sues PVC pipe makers for alleged price-fixing
New York's Erie County Water Authority has filed an antitrust lawsuit against major U.S. PVC pipe manufacturers, alleging they conspired to fix prices, artificially raising costs for PVC pipes used in public water systems and wastewater treatment nationwide.
AG Schwalb sues Fort Myer Construction for polluting DC stormwater system
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has filed a lawsuit against Fort Myer Construction Company, one of the region’s largest road paving firms, for illegally discharging pollutants into Washington, DC’s stormwater system.
Federal charges filed against contractors for failing to remove lead pipes in Newark, N.J.
Two officials from a construction company contracted to remove lead pipes in Newark have been charged with fraud, accused of deceiving the city by leaving the hazardous pipes in place while falsely claiming to have replaced them.
2024 water infrastructure bill gains Senate approval for key U.S. projects
The U.S. Senate has passed the bipartisan Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to advance key water infrastructure projects across the nation, including West Virginia.
Tyco reaches $750 million settlement in PFAS water contamination lawsuit
Tyco has agreed to pay $750 million, pending final court approval, to resolve claims that its products contaminated public water systems. The settlement is aimed at compensating affected water systems, including those with water sources that have tested positive for PFAS.
Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
The Environmental Protection Agency recently established new federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS, requiring states to adopt these standards to maintain regulatory control over their water systems.
Illinois governor signs bill implementing two-year pause on CO2 pipeline construction
Governor JB Pritzker has signed the SAFE CCS Act, establishing new safety standards for carbon capture in Illinois and implementing a two-year pause on CO2 pipeline construction.
Settlement reached in $312 million AFFF contamination case for public water systems
Angeion Group announced a settlement with BASF Corporation in a class action lawsuit involving all active public water systems in the United States with impacted water sources as of May 15, 2024.
Golden State Water and Cal Advocates reach $573 million settlement for rate case
American States Water Company's subsidiary, Golden State Water Company, has reached a settlement with the Public Advocates Office (Cal Advocates) concerning its water utility rate case.
Energy Transfer barred from blocking Williams’ natural gas pipeline, Louisianna judge rules
The ruling supports Williams' Louisiana Energy Gateway project, aimed at transporting gas from the Haynesville shale basin to the Gulf Coast. Energy Transfer, which is expanding its Gulf Run system, can still block Williams from using the open-cut method for pipeline installation.
MidAmerican, Mediacom, CenturyLink fined for violating Iowa’s underground infrastructure locating law
In May 2021, the State issued warning letters to MidAmerican, Mediacom, and CenturyLink regarding their companies’ failures to adequately address untimely and inaccurate locating of their underground facilities.
Tyco Fire Products to pay $750 million in proposed PFAS settlement impacting public water systems
Tyco Fire Products LP has agreed to a $750 million settlement in a class action lawsuit overseen by Angeion Group, addressing claims related to Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) impacting public water systems across the United States.
Judge blocks Department of Labor's expanded Davis-Bacon rule
(UI) — A federal judge has blocked the Department of Labor's new rule expanding the Davis-Bacon Act, siding with the Associated General Contractors of America in their lawsuit.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects proposed Rio Grande water rights settlement
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a proposed settlement among Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado regarding the division of Rio Grande River water. In a 5-4 decision, the court found the settlement insufficient because it overlooked federal government interests.
Michigan, Enbridge to battle over Line 5 oil pipeline in state court
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Enbridge waited too long to attempt to move Attorney General Dana Nessel's 2019 lawsuit to federal court. The decision reverses a prior ruling that had favored Enbridge.
Water utility trade groups to take legal action over EPA’s PFAS rule
American Water Works Association (AWWA) CEO David LaFrance and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) CEO Tom Dobbins released a statement regarding legal action related to EPA’s final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Oregon utility regulator rejects PacifiCorp’s bid to limit wildfire liability in lawsuits
Oregon utility regulators have rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits. Under the proposal, PacifiCorp would only have been responsible for paying out actual economic damages in lawsuit awards.
Federal government sues San Francisco over unauthorized stormwater, sewer system discharges
According to the federal complaint, San Francisco’s sewer system discharges of billions of gallons of combined sewage each year onto the beaches of San Francisco and into San Francisco Bay and its tributaries.
New National Security Memorandum aims to safeguard water infrastructure
(UI) — Recent cyber-attacks on water systems have underscored the urgent need for coordinated action to protect public health and the environment.
Tyler City Council updated on sewer system rehabilitations under Consent Decree
The City Council of Tyler, Texas, recently received a comprehensive update from Pipeline Analysis LLC regarding the ongoing and future rehabilitation plans for the city's sewer system as mandated by the Consent Decree.
Interior Department launches collaborative initiative to boost tribal water, sanitation infrastructure
The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and Indian Health Service unveiled a collaborative initiative aimed at bolstering safe drinking water and community sanitation infrastructure projects across Indian Country.
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Construction worker killed in trench collapse near Prosperity, S.C.
- Two workers rescued after hours trapped in Mich. trench collapse
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- Final construction phase kicks off for Indianapolis deep rock tunnel
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes
- Ameren Illinois to invest $140 million in natural gas pipeline replacement program