Utility Infrastructure
Water Utility Seeks Proposals for Energy Storage Project
The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on Thursday authorized the water authority, in conjunction with the City of San Diego, to begin seeking detailed proposals for the San Vicente Energy Storage Project. The San Vicente Energy Storage Project includes the construction of an energ..
Consumers Energy Opens New Employee Training Center
Officials from Consumers Energy and Grand Valley State University today celebrated the opening of the John G. Russell Leadership Center on the school’s downtown Grand Rapids campus, which will train the next generation of leaders for the energy provider. “Consumers Energy has a 130-year history..
Chicago Utility Creates App to Respond to Incidents Impacting Waterways
As boaters and visitors flock to area waterways, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is prepared to respond to local incidents impacting local rivers and streams. To alert the MWRD of odors, stream blockages and other environmental-related issues, the public is encouraged..
Gunman kills 2 Laclede Gas Utility Workers, Turns Gun on Self
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A gunman opened fire on two utility workers in a residential St. Louis neighborhood Thursday, killing both of them before fatally shooting himself. The shooting happened around 11:15 a.m. on the western edge of the city. Police say the gunman walked up to the two male workers for L..
Kansas Regulators Reject $12.2B Utility Merger
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas regulators on Wednesday rejected the proposed sale of the state’s largest electric company to a Missouri firm, concluding that the $12.2 billion price was too high and would leave the combined utility financially weaker than the separate companies. The Kansas Corporation ..
40 U.S. Utilities Recognized for Environmental Excellence
40 U.S. utilities have been recognized as 2017 Environmental Champions by Market Strategies International’s Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential, a nationwide study of nearly 58,000 customers among 130 of the largest residential gas and electric utility providers. The study scor..
Report: 17 States Invest in Water Reuse as a Long-Term Supply Strategy
Traditional water supplies are no longer a certainty for many municipal water utilities across the U.S., sparking a wave of investment in water reuse and desalination projects exceeding $18 billion. A critical driver to their adoption are demonstrated cost declines and competitiveness with more trad..
Utility: Old Power Lines Under Lake Champlain to be Replaced
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) —The Vermont Electric Power Company, which distributes electricity across the state, says construction is due to begin this week to replace power lines that run beneath Lake Champlain between Vermont and New York. The cables are part of VELCO’s Plattsburgh-to-Vermont line that ..
Texas Electric Regulators Nix $18B Oncor Sale
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas regulators have rejected the proposed more than $18 billion sale of Dallas-based Oncor Electric Delivery Co. to NextEra Energy Inc. The three-member Public Utility Commission of Texas on Thursday unanimously declined to accept the agreement as being in the public interest..
Budgets For EPA Water Infrastructure Grants Endangered
President Trump’s intention to drastically cut the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other departments and agencies, could have a major impact on the agency’s two key water infrastructure programs, the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs). Early leaks of..
Utility & Communications Construction Business Update
EDITOR’S NOTE: The past 25 years has seen many changes in the underground utilities universe. Technology advances, regulatory activity and environmental requirements have dictated major alterations in the way companies are managed. Rating as one of the foremost changes is the evolution of the busine..
Utility Worker Saves Man's Life
NEW YORK (AP) — A utility worker is being credited with saving a man who fell onto a New York City subway track just before a train pulled into the station. Cellphone video taken by a Seattle teenager shows Jonathan Kulig, of Queens, picking up a young man who had fallen off a Manhattan station’s p..
American Water Acquires Shorelands Water Company
American Water has completed its acquisition of the Shorelands Water Company, a privately owned water utility that provides water services to more than 11,000 customers in Monmouth County, N.J. The acquisition was approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on March 24, 2017. The purchased ..
Underground infrastructure Remains A Ghost In The Politics Of Infrastructure Stimulus Discussions
by Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief I’ve been waiting patiently. Listening intently, viewing all the footage, reading the reports and still I’m not seeing it. There has been virtually no mention of underground infrastructure in any of the coverage and discussions of the pending infrastructure stim..
Illinois American Water Employees Honored
Two Illinois American Water employees were recognized for their construction and safety efforts at the 30th Annual Peoria Area Labor Management Council and Tri-County Construction Labor Management Council award banquet on March 28, 2017. Roger Goodson, Illinois American Water’s senior manager of fi..
Illinois American Water Acquires Water System
Illinois American Water has officially acquired the Village of Sadorus water system, which will be incorporated into the company’s Champaign County District. The Village of Sadorus Board voted in favor of the sale in April 2016 and the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the sale for $240,000 on ..
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..
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 ..
Study Shows How U.S. Utilities Can Help Improve Water Resources
In recognition of UN World Water Day, Barclays Bank PLC and the Columbia Water Center have released the second report of the Impact Series from the Barclays Social Innovation Facility. Titled The water challenge: preserving a global resource, the report explores the extent of the water challenge and..
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..
March 2017 Business News
RDO Vermeer RDO Vermeer, part of the RDO Equipment Co. network of heavy equipment dealerships, received five awards from Vermeer including top honors, the Pinnacle Dealer Award, which recognizes talents in sales and aftermarket support. Award criterion include dealer metrics, such as parts, service..
Pipelines And Earthquakes - Bracing For "The Big One" In Oregon
By Aaron Eder, P.E Right after people started to feel safe enough to walk away from a recent summer blockbuster earthquake movie, “San Andreas,” New Yorker writer Kathryn Schulz had to go and scare the skinny pants off of Portland’s hipster crowd. Seismologists have long warned that a subduction zo..
Buffalo Grove IL Contracts RJN Group For Rehabilitation Program
RJN Group Inc. (RJN), a consulting engineering and specialty field services firm, has a new contract with the Village of Buffalo Grove (IL) for professional engineering and specialty field services to help meet short-term program requirements of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater..
Errant Excavator Blamed for Iowa Pipeline Leak
HANLONTOWN, Iowa (AP) — An Oklahoma-based company has blamed an errant excavator for damaging a pipeline in northern Iowa that spilled nearly 47,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Magellan Midstream Partners released a statement Tuesday saying the excavator apparently didn’t check with regulators about th..
Denying Pipeline Expansions Will Raise Electric Rates, Cut Jobs, Jeopardize Energy Security
A new report released in January by the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) found that rejecting pipeline infrastructure would remove almost one-third of U.S. electricity generation capacity by 2030, dangerously raising electric rates nationwide, especially for poverty-stricken households. The report, t..
San Antonio Desalination Plant Supplies Water to 53,000 Homes
San Antonio Water System (SAWS) introduced a truly new drinking water source: desalination. While desalination is usually associated with sea water, SAWS project pumps salty – or brackish – water from deep in the Wilcox Aquifer under south Bexar County as the source for this purified drinking wa..
Iowa Considers Dismantling Water Utilities in Three Cities
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An overflow crowd jammed a legislative hearing to oppose a bill they argued would make it more difficult to ensure safe water. At Monday’s public hearing on a bill that would dismantle water utilities in Des Moines, West Des Moines and Urbandale, opponents criticized the pro..
EPA Invests $95 Million In California Wastewater Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $95 million in new funding to California for improvements in local wastewater infrastructure, including upgrades to the city of Holtville’s 850,000-gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant, serving 6,954 residents, to comply with water qu..
Pennsylvania Eyes New Fees to Add Drinking Water Inspectors
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration says it wants to impose new fees on public water utilities to pay for more inspectors and resolve a federal official’s warning it isn’t adequately enforcing safe drinking water standards. Wolf’s Department of Environmental Protection says it hop..
Many Positives From Common Ground Alliance DIRT Report
The latest Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) report released in October 2016 by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) contained the good news that efforts to reduce accidental damage to the nation’s underground utility infrastructure and build awareness of the free 811 service are making significa..
- 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