Utility Infrastructure
More Michigan Utility Crews Joining Irma Restoration Effort
JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — More utility crews from Michigan are heading to help assist with power restorations following Hurricane Irma. Consumers Energy says it is sending an additional 130 employees and contractors Wednesday to help restore power in Georgia. Crews are leaving from Jackson for the Atla..
Water Service Slowly Returning to Florida Keys
MIAMI (AP) — Monroe County officials say water service is slowly being restored to the Florida Keys. County officials said in said in a Facebook update Wednesday: “MORE WATER IS COMING” Water would be turned on for two-hour spurts Wednesday morning and evening in Key West, but officials ..
Utility Says Florida's East Coast Could Have Power by Sunday; Other Areas to Take 10 Days or More
MIAMI (AP) — Florida’s largest utility says much of the state’s east coast could have power back by Sunday, but other areas could take 10 days or more. Rob Gould, vice president and chief communications officer for Florida Power & Light, said Tuesday that the utility expects to have power on for mo..
House, EPA Move To Address Water Infrastructure
Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Congress took steps to address additional funding for water infrastructure projects. A House committee unanimously passed a bill on July 29 which would raise the authorization ceiling on the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), and make some..
ASCE Publishes Books For Underground Infrastructure
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has published three new technical books related to underground infrastructure construction and rehabilitation. They can be purchased online by visiting “Publications” at asce.org. Standard Practice for Direct Design of Precast Concrete Pipe for Jacking..
TWDB Approves $1+ Billion For Improvement Projects
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved more than $1 billion in financial assistance from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program to be distributed to 10 project sponsors across the state. The projects, all recommended in the 2017 State Water Plan, include water line..
Stanford Researchers Create ‘Living Map’ Of Innovative Water Financing
A team of Stanford researchers has created the “Living Map” to showcase successful, innovative water financing projects across the country. Presented as case studies, the examples cover a wide variety of mechanisms and are designed to be implemented at various scales. “We need a new playbook that e..
Major Infrastructure Events, UCT and ICUEE
In this issue, we preview two major underground infrastructure industry events, ICUEE and UCT. The International Construction & Utility Equipment Exhibition is a bi-annual event held in Louisville, KY. This year’s show is scheduled for Oct. 3-5. ICUEE historically focuses on the below/above ground ..
Appalachian Power Sending Hundreds to Florida, Georgia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Appalachian Power says it’s sending hundreds of employees and contract workers to Florida and Georgia to help areas affected by Hurricane Irma. The utility says more than 120 employees are departing Tuesday for Georgia, and more than 260 employees and contract workers will ..
Dominion Energy Mobilizes More than 700 Workers to Assist With Irma Restoration Efforts
Dominion Energy today announced it is mobilizing more than 700 employees and contractors to respond to what is likely to be one of the largest electric industry restoration efforts in United States history after Hurricane Irma devastated Florida and left millions without power. “We are making final..
Duke Energy Ramps Up Power Restoration, Damage Assessment Efforts in Florida
Duke Energy today announced that it has mobilized more than 9,000 workers and additional personnel to respond to power outages and assess damage left in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Florida. According to the company, Duke Energy outages totaled 1.2 million in Florida, with nearly 100,000 cust..
Hundreds of Illinois Utility Workers to Help After Irma
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Ameren Illinois officials say that more than 200 employees and contract workers are on their way to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma. The storm struck Florida over the weekend and more than 7 million homes and businesses were without power in several states. ..
EPA Grants Pollution Waiver to Florida Utilities After Irma
WASHINGTON (AP) — State and federal environmental regulators issued a blanket waiver on Monday for Florida electricity companies to violate clean air and water standards without penalty for the next two weeks. The Environmental Protection Agency said the so-called No Action Assurance granted throug..
Study: Utility Customer Satisfaction Reaches All-Time High
Market Strategies International has published its latest Cogent Reports™study, Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential, which shows utility customer satisfaction in America is at an all-time high. According to the study, U.S. electric and natural gas utilities posted an average sc..
California Water Service Group Named Great Place to Work® for Second Consecutive Year
For the second year in a row, California Water Service Group, the parent company of California Water Service, Washington Water Service, New Mexico Water Service, Hawaii Water Service, CWS Utility Services, and HWS Utility Services, has been named a Great Place to Work® by the Great Place to Work® In..
Now a Tropical Storm, Irma Hits Florida with Wind, Flooding
TAMPA, Florida (AP) — A weakened but still dangerous Irma pushed inland Monday as it hammered Florida with winds and floodwaters that created hazards even for rescuers trying to help beleaguered residents. Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm over Florida, but it still had winds near hurricane f..
Orange County Water District Awarded Grant to Improve Water Quality
The Orange County Water District (OCWD), in a partnership with the University of Maryland and CosmosID, Inc., has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that will aid the water industry in its continued effort to improve water quality. The $100k award will be used to apply metagenomics, ..
PG&E Crews Head to Florida in Advance of Hurricane Irma
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced it is sending crews to Florida help restore power to those impacted by Hurricane Irma. About 125 PG&E employees, including line workers, equipment operators, supervisors and support personnel, throughout PG&E’s 70,000-square-mile service area ..
FirstEnergy Crews Mobilize to Assist with Hurricane Irma Restoration Efforts
FirstEnergy Corp. today announced it will send nearly 900 linemen, damage assessors, electrical contractors, forestry crews and support personnel to help utilities in Florida with restoration efforts following expected power outages from Hurricane Irma. The crews are scheduled to leave ..
Kentucky Sending Hurricane-Relief Workers South
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky is sending National Guard soldiers and utility workers to help in areas affected by Hurricane Irma. The Kentucky Air National Guard says it is sending about 25 soldiers to the Caribbean to help with search and rescue efforts in the wake of the Category 5 storm...
Tidewater Utilities Selected to Create Delaware's First Non-Profit Utility
U.S. Senator Tom Carper joined representatives from USDA, DNREC, Clean Water Solutions and Tidewater Utilities recently to announce federal funding to support the needs of small, aging rural community wastewater systems in Delaware. The announcement was made in a press conference held at the Country..
Utilities to Conduct Storm Restoration Drill to Help Prepare Employees for Real-Life Events
Ohio Edison and Pennsylvania Power, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp., have announced they will conduct a training drill this week to test the companies’ storm restoration process for when severe weather causes wide-spread power outages in the region. Designed to train employees assigned to storm o..
Florida Power & Light Mobilizes Restoration Workforce Ahead of Hurricane Irma
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that they have mobilized a restoration workforce of more than 11,000 employees and contractors in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Irma. The company has activated more than 20 staging sites and is already pre-positioning crews in the areas..
Cities Not Yet Paying Sioux City's Wastewater Service Charge
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Three neighboring cities have yet to pay Sioux City’s long-overlooked wastewater service charge, lest they have to raise local sewage charges. The Sioux City Journal reports that the city discovered the neglected charge during an audit and notified officials in Sergeant Bluf..
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Approves Sempra Energy-Oncor Merger Agreement
Sempra Energy today announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has approved the merger agreement that Energy Future Holdings Corp. (Energy Future) entered into with Sempra Energy on Aug. 21, 2017. This approval is an important step in Sempra Energy’s proposal to acquir..
Algonquin Power & Utilities to Acquire St. Lawrence Gas Company
Algonquin Power & Utilities’ regulated distribution utility business, Liberty Utilities Co., has entered into a definitive agreement with Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. , a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc., to acquire St. Lawrence Gas Company, Inc., a regulated natural gas distribution utility located in..
Ameren Corporation Donates to Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
As the impact of Hurricane Harvey continues throughout Texas and the Gulf Coast, Ameren Corporation is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts. With an eagerness to help those affected by the flooding, Ameren employees are also providing individual contributions. “A..
West Virginia American Water Acquires Queen Shoals PSD Water System
West Virginia American Water has completed its acquisition of the Queen Shoals Public Service District water system. The transaction was recently approved by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and followed several years of discussions with the distressed public service district, which wa..
Illinois American Water to Invest $5.7 Million in Sewer, Water System Upgrades
Illinois American Water’s Peoria District today announced it will invest over $5.7 million to improve its distribution system. The investment includes installing over four miles of water main in Peoria, Limestone Township and Bartonville. In addition, 11 pressure-reducing valves will be installed in..
American Water Resources Collaborates with Dispatch to Improve the Customer Repair Experience
American Water Resources has entered into an agreement with Dispatch to help deliver faster service when customers need repairs on their water and sewer service lines, in-home plumbing, and other home services covered under American Water Resources protection plans. Dispatch is an enterprise custom..
- TxDOT advances massive drainage tunnel beneath I-35 in Austin
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- U.S. water reuse boom to fuel $47 billion in infrastructure spending through 2035
- $2.3 billion approved to construct 236-mile Texas-to-Gulf gas pipeline
- Major water pipe break in Puerto Rico hits over 165,000 customers
- Pennsylvania American Water launches interactive map to identify, replace lead water service lines
- Trump's tariffs drive $33 million cost increase for Cincinnati sewer project
- Utah city launches historic $70 million tunnel project using box jacking under active rail line
- Tulsa residents warned after sewer lines damaged by boring work
- Fatal trench collapse halts sewer construction in Massachusetts; two workers hospitalized