Magazine
Perma-Liner Celebrates Opening of 5th Distribution Warehouse
Perma-Liner Industries LLC, a leading manufacturer and supplier of trenchless pipeline rehabilitation equipment and materials in North America, opened its newest distribution warehouse. The Bow, N.H., facility offers full stocking of cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) materials and equipment, and direct 24-hour assistance for all certified Perma-Liner installers.
Waterline Renewal Technologies Acquired by Private Equity Firm
Waterline Renewal Technologies Inc. (WRT), a leading, Rosemont, Ill., provider of engineered products used in the trenchless rehabilitation of wastewater infrastructure for municipal, commercial, industrial and residential applications, was acquired by private equity investment firm Behrman Capital.
Hidden Beneath the Bed
Undocumented Obstacles Below Railroad Tracks Complicate Ramming Job
Steering Through Sandy Soils to Upgrade City Sewer System
The economy in Garden City, Kan., is strong with the recent opening of a Dairy Farmers of America plant. Approximately 4 million pounds of milk from regional farmers makes its way to the plant each day, which has led to expansion for many other companies throughout the area. To keep up with the expected growth from the dairy industry and retail stores being constructed nearby, Garden City is upgrading existing utilities to ensure they are prepared to handle current and future needs.
Consumers Energy Modernizes System with Saginaw Trail Pipeline
In Michigan, Consumers Energy is modernizing its natural gas system to improve safety and reliability, and a key element is replacing 78 miles of transmission pipeline that passes through three Michigan counties.
How to Select the Right Trench Protection System
How a utility contractor chooses to excavate on a job site can make all the difference in the project outcome. When you consider that 30 to 40 percent of all excavations lack the appropriate protective solutions, it should come as no surprise that projects are often over budget and overdue. When you add the very real risk of injury or death, a lack of proper protection makes no sense at all.
Rock, Weather, Tight Deadlines are No Match for Horizon Pipeline
Pipeline construction projects across America have flurried in recent years, with miles of natural gas line being added almost daily. The bulk of new lines is being constructed in the prolific Permian Basin, with midstream energy companies, like Targa Resources Corporation, expanding to support growing demand for natural gas and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports.
Trenching In Tennessee
Cleary Construction is involved in a major project to relocate and replace utility lines in Smyrna, Tenn. Moving the utilities is necessary due to a road widening project to improve traffic flow in this growing community located about 20 miles southeast of Nashville.
Sewer Construction Grants Targeted for Big but Speculative Increase
There seems to be a good chance that Congress will pass a reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), given strong bi-partisan support for the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019 (H.R. 1497).
Customer Satisfaction Declines Across Energy Utilities Sector
Following a slight bump in 2018, residential customer satisfaction in the energy utilities sector has taken an about-face one year later.
PPI Offers Free Course on Selecting, Specifying HDPE for Power, Communications
The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI) launched a new Continuing Education Unit (CEU)-style course about design, installation and specification of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conduit and duct. Selecting & Specifying HDPE Conduit for Power and Communications Applications can be downloaded free from the PPI website.
EPA Announces New WIFIA Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making funding available to provide an estimated $6 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in 2019. “Through WIFIA, we are addressing several of President Trump’s top priorities, simultaneously: modernizing our nati..
EPA Announces $2.6 Billion in Availability for Water Improvement Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of $2.6 billion in new funds to assist states, tribes and territories with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across the country.
Trump Says He’ll Push for $200 Million for Everglades Work
President Donald Trump says his administration will seek $200 million for federal work on watershed restoration in the Everglades this year.
Pennsylvania Counties Using Fiber Optics to Improve 911 Capabilities
For years, fiber-optic cables have been the gold standard in speed and reliability for telecommunication networks. Not only do they provide much faster internet data speeds for homes and businesses, they allow for larger and more complex data sets to be transferred at no loss to speed or quality.
MTA to Build First All-Terrestrial Fiber Line From Alaska to Contiguous U.S.
MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today that it plans to build AlCan ONE (Alaska Canada Overland Network), the first and only all-terrestrial fiber network connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond.
NTSB Probe Yields New Safety Recommendations for Gas Utilities
Federal safety officials are recommending new rules for natural gas leak reporting and installations after investigating the cause of an explosion that killed seven people at a Maryland apartment complex in 2016.
Appeals Courts Provide Good/Bad News for Pipelines
Stephen Barlas | Washington Editor The top federal appeals court in charge of policing regulatory decisions gave a big victory to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), endorsing in February its approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, one of two controversial projects already underway..
Give Them What They Ask For
When an energy source is extremely economical, much-more environmentally friendly and readily available, common sense would dictate that you encourage development of that source. But sometimes common sense and reality prove to be dramatically different thing..
Unusual Sliplining Solutions Developed on Los Angeles Project
Rehabilitating or replacing large-diameter sewer lines in heavily populated areas always is a challenge: heavy traffic complicates work and causes disruptions and traffic delays, creating a ripple affect extending far beyond the construction zones.
Utility & Communications Construction Update
Strong revenue and profitability marked the first quarter of 2019 for the utility and communications industry, particularly among the publicly traded members of the Utility & Communications Construction Index (UCCI).
Police: 1 Dead, 15 Injured in North Carolina Gas Explosion
A gas explosion that partially collapsed a North Carolina building and set it ablaze Wednesday morning killed one person and injured more than a dozen others, police said.
Omaha Putting 65M Gallons per Day of Untreated Sewage into River
Omaha has been dumping about 65 million gallons (246 million liters) of untreated sewage daily into a creek that soon flows into the Missouri River, a situation that officials say won’t be resolved for several weeks.
WSSC Now Accepting Applications for Commissioners’ Engineering Scholarship Program
LAUREL, Md. – Why is tap water better than bottled? That’s what engineering students will answer as part of their application to WSSC’s annual Commissioners’ Engineering Scholarship Program, worth up to $10,000 in scholarship money and paid internship experience over four years. The scholarship prog..
Miami-Dade Almost Out of Money for Federally Mandated Sewage System Upgrades
Miami-Dade County, Fla., is on the brink of running out of money to pay for federally mandated upgrades to its outdated sewage system. This revelation comes just days after more than 700,000 gallons of sewage dumped into Biscayne Bay from the last remaining pump station yet to be scheduled for repairs.
Avanti International Celebrates 40 Year Anniversary
Avanti International is proud to announce that the company has reached a milestone, celebrating 40 years as an industry leader.
Giacomo (Jack) Conte
NASSCO honoree Giacomo (Jack) Conte grew up literally learning the business from the ground up. As his career progressed, Conte quickly reacted to market opportunities and became a respected innovator and leader within the underground infrastructure industry.
First Look: Utilizing Inertial Navigation Technology for 3D Mapping, Locating, Management
Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in the quality and application of inertial navigation technology targeted at mapping underground pipe and duct assets. This article provides information on pipeline technologies that are available to map a minimum internal diameter (ID) of 1.6-inch to larger sizes. The pipeline mapping system offers a range of solutions that can map any pipe, regardless of its material, depth or type of utility.
UCT 2019: ShowStopper Awards Presented to Stand-Out Exhibits at UCT
UCT 2019: ShowStopper Awards Presented to Stand-Out Exhibits at UCT
Washington Watch
By Stephen Barlas | Washington Editor GAO Highlights Potential Cyber Security Threats The Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its oversight of cybersecurity protection at interstate pipelines. The report essentially said the DHS’s Transp..
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- West Virginia approves $67 million for water, sewer projects