Pipelines
Judge Halts Land Acquisition for Mountain Valley Pipeline
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has halted a company’s plan to take possession of various lands in Virginia for a controversial pipeline project until it can demonstrate that the landowners will be adequately compensated. The judge on Wednesday said Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC is entitled to c..
Survey: Minnesota Cities Need $5B to Fix Old Sewers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state survey says Minnesota communities will need almost $5 billion to fix aging sewer systems in the next 20 years. Minnesota Public Radio reports that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency surveys communities every two years about wastewater infrastructure repair needs. The ..
46 Tons of Mardi Gras Beads Pulled from New Orleans Storm Drains
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Let the good times roll — just not into New Orleans’ storm drains. That’s the plea from city officials. Local news outlets report cleaning crews have sucked out more than 46 tons (42,000 kilograms) of Mardi Gras beads from catch basins on along a five-block stretch of St. Charle..
West Virginia Issues Stormwater Construction Permit for Atlantic Coast Pipeline
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s environmental regulators have approved a construction stormwater permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would carry natural gas southeast from the center of the state. The Department of Environmental Protection says it covers stormwater discharge asso..
North Carolina OKs Water Certification for Atlantic Coast Pipeline
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A pipeline that would carry fracked natural gas from West Virginia into the Southeast cleared another regulatory hurdle Friday when North Carolina’s environmental agency issued a water quality certification. Gov. Roy Cooper’s office separately announced pipeline partners Domini..
Utilities Work to Repair Sewer, Water Pipes in California Town Rocked by Mudslides
MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — Emotional residents are trickling back to the California coastal town that was devastated two weeks ago by mudslides that killed at least 21 people and destroyed more than a hundred homes. Santa Barbara County officials finally lifted evacuation orders this week for about 1..
Ex-Emergency Manager Waives Key Hearing in Flint Water Case
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A former state-appointed emergency manager facing charges in Flint’s lead-contaminated water crisis has waived a key hearing in the case. Gerald Ambrose appeared Thursday in Genesee County District Court and agreed to let the case proceed to Circuit Court, which would hand..
Gas Pipeline Told to Halt Drilling Under River After Spill
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Federal regulators have again told a company building twin natural gas pipelines across northern Ohio to stop drilling under a river because of concerns over a spill. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says in the stoppage ordered Wednesday that it wants the builders of th..
Body Found In Northern California Water Supply Pipeline
(AP) – A man’s body has been recovered from a reservoir pipeline supplying drinking water to several Northern California communities, though authorities say the water quality is not affected. KCRA-TV reports that the body of 34-year-old Tory Robert Mayes of Pollock Pines was found about 11 a.m. Tue..
Plumbing Manufacturers International: Federal Drinking Water Safety Programs Must Continue
Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) congratulated David Ross on his appointment as the EPA assistant administrator in charge of the agency’s Office of Water, and underscored the critical importance of continuing EPA programs that assure drinking water safety and help to conserve water through..
Wisconsin Senate Passes Bill to Ease Lead Pipe Costs
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate has passed a bill designed to help Wisconsin homeowners cover the cost of replacing lead pipes. The bill passed Tuesday would allow public water utilities and local governments to provide grants, loans or both to property owners to help them replace portions of..
Mountain Valley Pipeline Clears Another Regulatory Hurdle
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — The federal government has approved preliminary construction for parts of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia. The 300-mile natural gas pipeline would also run through parts of southwestern Virginia if it’s fully approved. The Roanoke Times reported Monday that the Fed..
Wisconsin Senate to Take up Lead Pipe Bill Again
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate is set to put the finishing touches on a bill designed to help Wisconsin homeowners cover the cost of replacing lead pipes. The would allow public water utilities and local governments to provide grants, loans or both to property owners to help them replace por..
Sewer Spill Shuts Beaches Along California's Central Coast
MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — Nearly 5 million gallons of sewage spilled into the ocean on California’s Central Coast after a filter at a water treatment plant got clogged and the computer system failed to sound an alarm, an official said Monday, forcing several popular beaches to close. The spill at the..
Ohio Regulators Award Nearly $3.5 Million for Sewer Project
In projects financed with loans worth approximately $3.5 million from the Ohio EPA, Perry County will install a sanitary sewer system in Moore’s Junction and study the feasibility of establishing a storm water utility in the village of Crooksville. The Moore’s Junction project involves constructing..
Tests Show Pittsburgh's Water Still Exceeds Federal Lead Standards
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) today released the results from its most recent compliance testing for lead, which show the utility’s water system still exceeds federal standards. According to the company, the 90th percentile results from the December 2017 testing were 21 parts per ..
Nearly $11 Million Awarded for Texas Sewer, Water Projects
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved more than $10 million in financial assistance for the following water and wastewater system projects: $700,000 to the Holiday Beach Water Supply Corporation for a Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery project, which includes replacing sections ..
Officials Delay Hearings on Thornton Water Pipeline Project
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — County officials have delayed public hearings after requesting additional information on a pipeline project that would transport water from a northern Colorado river to a Denver suburb. The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports Larimer County officials requested additional mate..
FERC Approves PennEast Pipeline
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued an Order under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act approving the construction of the PennEast Pipeline. The approval comes two weeks after a severe regional cold spell that forced natural gas prices in New Jersey to skyrocket 31 times abo..
Environmental Groups Challenge Key Approval for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A coalition of community and environmental groups has filed a legal challenge to Virginia regulators’ decision to grant a conditional water quality permit for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The groups filed a petition Thursday with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals i..
Water Line Break at Southern University Floods Library
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The days of unusually frigid weather in Louisiana have ruptured a water line to the library on Southern University’s main campus in Baton Rouge. Though the campus will reopen for students on Friday, Southern officials announced that the burst of the “major water line” at the..
Winter Weather Causes Water Problems in Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The worst of the freezing weather was coming to an end Thursday in south Louisiana, but the big thaw posed problems, too. Pipes damaged during two nights of unusually cold temperatures were thawing and leaking, leading to low water pressure in New Orleans and surrounding areas. ..
Connecticut Water to Spend $17 Million Replacing Aging Pipes
Connecticut Water today announced it plans to spend an additional $17.4 million in 2018 to continue enhancing water system reliability by replacing aging pipes. “Connecticut Water is at the forefront of investing in replacing aging water mains,” Craig C. Patla, Connecticut Water’s vice president of..
Legislative Deal Reached in Washington Water Dispute that Stalled New Construction
SEATTLE (AP) — Top state lawmakers have reached a deal on a rural water dispute that has held up approval of more than $4 billion in new school and other construction projects for months, officials said Thursday. Rep. Larry Springer, a Kirkland Democrat, said that top Republican and Democratic lead..
Much of New Orleans Under Boil Water Advisory
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Residents in much of New Orleans awoke to news that they should boil tap water before drinking it. Thursday’s boil advisory is the latest complication from severe winter weather. The city’s Sewerage and Water Board began reporting drops in water pressure in some areas Wednesday, ..
$3.7 Million Awarded for Sewer, Water Projects in Ohio
The Ohio EPA has awarded approximately $3.7 million in low-interest loans to improve sewer and water systems across the state. The projects receiving funding include: $2.37 million to the City of Marion to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the Little Scioto River. The ..
SippTech and SAK Construction Enter Into Exclusive National Installer Agreement
SIPP Technologies LLC (SippTech) today announced it has reached an agreement with SAK Construction LLC (SAK) for exclusive installation rights of its SippSteel™ robotic lining technology. Pursuant to the agreement, SAK is now the sole national installation contractor for SippTech’s multidimensional,..
Philadelphia Water Main Breaks Spike Since Christmas
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia water department says crews have been working “at an almost 24/7 pace” to deal with a high rate of water main breaks since Christmas. The department says there were 117 water main breaks in January 2017, but there have been 176 main breaks in the first half of t..
Utility: Weight of Fill Material Led to Gas Pipeline Fire
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan utility says the weight of 21 feet of fill material was responsible for a November gas line rupture and massive fire in Oakland County’s Orion Township. Jackson-based Consumers Energy says Monday in a statement that the weight of the material “stressed the pi..
10 Massachusetts Communities Share Water Grants
BOSTON (AP) — Ten Massachusetts communities are sharing nearly $400,000 in state grants to improve drinking water or improve wastewater treatment facilities. The grants administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection were announced last week. Department Commissioner Martin..
- 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