Regulatory
Iowa Utility Regulator Confirmation Delayed
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate delayed the confirmation of Geri Huser as the Iowa Utilities Board chairwoman after The Associated Press reported on her extensive private legal work, lawmakers said Wednesday. The Senate commerce committee had been scheduled Tuesday to consider Huser’s appoin..
Construction Begins on $25 Million Sewer Project
New York City Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora have announced that construction has begun on a $25 million sewer project in the southeast Queens neighborhood of Rosedale that will..
Ohio City Gets Funding to Upgrade Sewer System
The Ohio EPA has approved a low-interest loan worth approximately $1.6 million for the City of Warren’s High Street overflow planning project, in an effort to improve water quality in the Ohio River watershed. The city plans to permanently close the High Street overflow system, which will involve i..
Texas Town Receives Funding for Water Infrastructure Improvements
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved $822,054 in financial assistance, consisting of a $580,000 loan and $242,054 in loan forgiveness, from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to the city of Winters. The funding will allow the city to finance construction costs associated with ..
Michigan, Flint to Replace 18,000 Lead-Tainted Water Lines
DETROIT (AP) — Michigan and the city of Flint have agreed to replace thousands of home water lines under a sweeping deal to settle a lawsuit over lead-contaminated water in the troubled city. A court filing Monday says Flint will replace at least 18,000 lead or galvanized-steel water lines by 2020,..
Texas Town Receives $3 Million for Water and Wastewater Upgrades
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved financial assistance in the amount of $2.82 million, consisting of a $1.73 million loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and a $1.09 million loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, to the city of Montgomery. With the loans, t..
Ohio Town Receives Funding for Sanitary Sewer Upgrades
The Ohio EPA has awarded the City of Chardon with a $230,685 low-interest loan from its Water Pollution Control Loan Fund that will allow the community to develop a plan to remedy undersized sewers and prevent sanitary sewer overflows into Lake Erie. With the loan, the city plans to design sanitary..
Water and Sewer District in Ohio Gets Funding to Inspect Water Lines
To ensure drinking water service reliability and quality, the Northwestern Water and Sewer District in Wood County, Ohio plans to evaluate several miles of pipe with help from an Ohio EPA loan. The project in the Toledo service area involves inspecting approximately 12 miles of 16-inch to 30-inch w..
Michigan Senate OKs $5M Sinkhole Loan, Allots Flint Funds
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Senate has approved a $5 million state loan to help repair a sinkhole in suburban Detroit and has voted to allot $100 million in federal funding to address Flint’s water crisis. The mid-year budget bill cleared the Republican-controlled chamber 36-1 Wednesda..
Florida DEP Awards Funding for Stormwater Projects
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded more than $500,000 in Total Maximum Daily Load water-quality restoration grants for stormwater projects in two communities. Total Maximum Daily Load water-quality restoration grants are awarded to local communities and water manage..
Natural Gas Pipeline Initiative Launched in Massachusetts
The Northeast Gas Association has launched a year-long initiative to raise awareness about the importance of natural gas infrastructure to Massachusetts’ economy and its essential role as the Commonwealth transitions to an electricity grid that becomes more reliant upon renewable energy. “Massachus..
Utility Leaders Elevate Water Infrastructure at AWWA Event on Capitol Hill
More than 140 water utility leaders from throughout the United States embarked on 352 meetings with members of Congress this week to elevate the importance of investing in water infrastructure. The utility leaders were part of the American Water Works Association’s Water Matters! Fly-In, an annual ..
Report: Closing Water Infrastructure Investment Gap Strengthens U.S. Economy
According to an economic impact analysis commissioned by the Value of Water Campaign, closing the water infrastructure gap in the U.S. would create 1.3 million jobs and spur total economic activity to $220 billion annually. The report, “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure” wil..
Utilities Advocate for Investment in Water Reuse Infrastructure
WateReuse members from across the United States arrived in Washington, DC today to elevate water as national priority during the National Water Policy Fly-In, a highlight of Water Week 2017. WateReuse is participating with other water sector organizations to deliver a clear, consistent and unified m..
144 Canadian Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects Receive Funding
Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Peter Fassbender, British Columbia’s Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, have announced $373.2 million in funding for 144 new projects in British Columbia through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund. The Gover..
LA Water Commissioner Cuts Check for Pipeline Repairs
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A city water commissioner was so concerned about a broken pipeline at a California Indian reservation that she decided to pay for repairs with her own money. Department of Water and Power Commissioner Christina Noonan cut a check on Tuesday after members of the Big Pine Paiute tr..
New York Construction Firms Rally for More Water Spending
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Construction contractors, engineers, architects and environmental advocates are urging lawmakers to follow through with promises to increase spending on New York’s aging drinking water and waste water systems. The coalition, called Rebuild NY Now, rallied members Monday in Alban..
Effort to Replace Pipes to Flint Homes off to Slow Start
FLINT, Mich. (AP) – Flint residents could still be a few years away from drinking unfiltered tap water as the city makes incremental progress on an ambitious — if not overly optimistic — timeframe to replace old water service lines that leached lead into homes and businesses. Retired National Guard..
Honolulu Fined $100,000 for Sewer Spills in August 2015
HONOLULU (AP) — The city of Honolulu has been fined $100,000 for mistakes that triggered a number of sewage spills in August 2015. Heavy rains caused sewer overflows in Kailua and Kaneohe three times in August 2015. The damage forced the city to close Waikiki Beach for days. State health departmen..
Association Applauds Trump's Commitment To Water Infrastructure
The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association applauded President Trump’s commitment to water infrastructure development in his proposed budget that was released yesterday. “We’re pleased that during a time of significant belt-tightening across the federal government, President Trump continues..
America to Celebrate 2nd Annual National Gas Utility Workers' Day on March 18
America will celebrate its 2nd annual National Gas Utility Workers’ Day on March 18, 2017. This day of recognition is a time when communities give recognition to the employees who provide one of their most valuable assets—their natural gas utility. Gas Utility Workers’ Day occurs on March 18 becaus..
Michigan Governor Will Drop Lead Limit Below Federal Cap
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said Thursday his administration will enact the country’s toughest lead limit for water in the wake of the lead contamination in Flint, following up on a proposal he first unveiled nearly a year ago. Snyder said he will gradually lower Michigan’s “act..
EPA Awards $100 Million to Michigan for Flint Water Infrastructure Upgrades
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $100 million grant to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to fund drinking water infrastructure upgrades in Flint, Mich. The funding, provided by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016, or WIIN, enables Fli..
Flint to Stay on Detroit Water Through Connector
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s Genesee County is planning to build a connector to the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline in order to start treating Lake Huron water and allow the city of Flint to continue receiving Detroit water. The county Water and Waste Services Advisory Board voted in support ..
Few Ohio Water Suppliers Miss Deadline for Lead Pipe Maps
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Ohio regulators say nearly all of the state’s public drinking water systems have turned in maps showing where they still have lead pipes. The state’s Environmental Protection Agency said last week that about half of the drinking water suppliers were in danger of missing a dead..
Wisconsin Communities to Get State Loans for Lead Pipes
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Three Wisconsin communities will receive more than $1 million in state subsidies to replace lead pipes. Gov. Scott Walker’s office announced Friday that the Department of Natural Resources has reached financial agreements with Racine, Clintonville and Florence through the agenc..
Kentucky Town Gets Grant to Fix Water Issues
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (AP) — The city of Olive Hill in northeastern Kentucky has been approved for a $243,000 grant to fix its aging water system that is losing about half its capacity. The grant is coming from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The city’s cast iron water line dates back to the 1960s...
Virginia Sewer Bill Sparks Intense Debate
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — One of Virginia’s wealthiest cities has an unpleasant problem: part of the sewer system in Alexandria gets overwhelmed during almost any type of wet weather, sending untreated waste into nearby waterways and on to the Potomac River scores of times each year. The Washington subu..
New ASCE Report Shows Water Systems Need Upgrades
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) latest Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, issued every four years since 2001, recently gave the nation’s water systems a D grade, and wastewater systems a D+ grade, both of which are among the worst of the infrastructures studied in the report. ..
$60 Million OK'd to Upgrade Water and Wastewater Systems Across New York
The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors has approved nearly $60 million in grants and interest-free and low-cost loans to support vital drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across New York State. This funding will provide much-needed assistance for..
- 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
- Two workers rescued after hours trapped in Mich. trench collapse
- Trump calls for Keystone XL pipeline revival, but developer has moved on
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes
- Ameren Illinois to invest $140 million in natural gas pipeline replacement program
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds