Utility Infrastructure
Energy Company Plans to Close Michigan Nuclear Plant in 2018
COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — An energy company announced plans Thursday to permanently close the Palisades nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan in 2018, which could mean hundreds of job cuts for a major employer in the region if regulators approve the closure. New Orleans-based Entergy Cor..
Chairman of Colorado PUC Announces Resignation
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — The head of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission has announced his resignation. The Pueblo Chieftain reports (http://bit.ly/2gCzQkc ) that Chairman Joshua Epel announced Tuesday that he will resign two years ahead of the end of his most recent term. His last day will be Jan..
New York Regulators Seek to Reform Energy Service Market
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York regulators are launching a comprehensive review of energy service companies, saying the competitive residential market created by utility deregulation hasn’t lived up to its promise. The Public Service Commission filed a notice Friday saying it will solicit sworn testim..
What Does Donald Trump's Election As President Of The United States Truly Mean?
By Robert Carpenter Editor-in-Chief That’s a common question being tossed around not only domestically, but internationally as well. There are endless considerations with not much more than a vague concept of an answer right now. From social issues to immigration to terrorism, Trump has spewed rhet..
Michigan Wants Rules to Toughen Utilities' Cybersecurity
LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan regulators have directed their staff to develop rules designed to toughen utilities’ defenses against cyberattacks. Michigan Public Service Commission Chairwoman Sally Talberg says natural gas and electric providers face attempted intrusions into their computer system..
Flex-Seal Utility Sealant From Sealing Systems
Flex-Seal Utility Sealant is a state-of- the-art plural component aromatic urethane with an incredible 800 percent elongation and a tensile strength of 3200psi. It is designed to prevent inflow/infiltration and to provide corrosion protection at the grade adjustment ring section or joint section. Fl..
Water Pipe Funding Assured by Congress
Congress will approve new funding for “emergency” repair and construction of underground water pipes with unacceptably high lead content when it approves a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill in either November or December. But numerous questions remain about the new program established in ..
Public Hearing Set on W.Va. Draft Source Water Protection Plan
CHARLESTON (AP) — A public hearing is being held this month on a draft source water protection plan for the West Virginia American Water Kanawha Valley System. The plan is intended to identify ways to minimize potential threats to source water and prepare for spills or other emergencies that could ..
PMI Advocates Restoration Of Underground Water Infrastructure
In the first step of a committed advocacy effort for the safety and sustainability of America’s drinking water, Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) introduced an infographic promoting the restoration of the U.S. underground water infrastructure. “To help assure the safety and sustainability ..
Promising Earthquake Resistant Steel Pipe For Water, Oil, Gas
Devastation caused by major earthquakes is well-known – dramatic video clips vividly document the destruction of collapsed buildings, caved-in highways, fallen bridges and debris scattered across the landscape. However, not all damage is visible. Violent shifts underground can rupture water, sewer..
New Water Infrastructure Grant Programs At Issue In Congress Proposed Rule
The U.S, Senate recently passed bill S. 2848, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, with a broad bi-partisan vote of 95 to 3. The House is still working on its own version of a WRDA bill. A key water infrastructure element in S. 2848 is a provision of $70 million so the new Water Infr..
Common Ground Alliance's 2015 DIRT Report Estimates Damages to Buried Utilities Dropped 9 Percent from 2014
Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-run organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines and the people who dig near them, has released the findings from its comprehensive 2015 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report. The report, which is the sum of all 2015 data sub..
American Ductile Iron Pipe Provides 30,000 Feet of Pipe To Georgia Water Authority
American Ductile Iron Pipe is providing 30,000 feet of 48-inch-diameter V-Bio wrapped ductile iron pipe for a Cobb County-Marietta, GA, Water Authority project to replace a 48-year-old, 36-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe. In addition, American Flow Control is supplying more than 20 resilien..
Crumbling Public Water Infrastructure Signals Larger Role For Private Participation
Private participation in U.S. municipal water markets is poised for expansion, according to a new report from Bluefield Research. Municipalities and local authorities are showing increasing reliance on investor-owned utilities and private players for the ownership, management and operation of public..
More Americans Worried About Aging Water Infrastructure
More Americans are concerned about aging water infrastructure in their communities than last year and they’re willing to spend more to make improvements, according to a new survey released today by MWH Global. Among the survey’s key findings: Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) say not having ..
Dominion-Questar Merger Moves Closer After Approval From Utah's PSC
The Public Service Commission of Utah has approved the merger between Dominion Resources, Inc. and Questar Corporation, subject to terms and conditions of an agreed settlement stipulation. With this action, the final regulatory approval needed to complete the merger is pending with the Wyomi..
PG&E Becomes First Natural Gas Utility to Obtain Process Safety Certification
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has successfully passed a comprehensive gas safety audit and has been certified to the chemical industry’s RC14001® management system standard. The audit reviewed numerous end-to-end safety processes at the company, ultimately approving PG&E as the first utili..
New Questions Over California Water Project
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Critics and a state lawmaker say they want more explanations on who’s paying for a proposed $16 billion water project backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, after a leading California water district said Brown’s administration was offering government funding to finish the planning for the ..
Municipal Water Infrastructure CAPEX To Exceed $532 Billion By 2025
According to Bluefield Research, capital expenditures (CAPEX) for U.S. municipal water and wastewater utilities are expected to exceed $532 billion between 2016 and 2025, almost 28 percent more than CAPEX during the last 10 years. A significant decrease in federal funding for water utilities — $4.3..
Infrastructure Vision 2050 Names “Dream” Phase Winners
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has announced five winners in the second, “Dream”, phase of the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge. Launched earlier this year, the three-phased competition challenges a community of innovators to reimagine personal mobility, freight movement, and ..
WaterWorks News
WaterWorks News, July 2016 American Water Seeks Approval Of Plan in WV West Virginia American Water filed an application with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) seeking approval of an Infrastructure Replacement Program (IRP). The purpose of an IRP is to address the national chall..
Southern California Water District Finalizes Land Purchase
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Southern California’s largest water supplier has bought sprawling farmland that could be used to help build twin tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/2a3qYUm) the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ..
SAK Construction Begins Multiple Baltimore/D.C. Projects
SAK Construction (SAK), a national pipeline rehabilitation and tunneling services contractor, is beginning work on $21.7 million of contracts won throughout the Baltimore, MD, and Washington DC regions. SAK is repairing the sewer and pipeline infrastructure in these metropolitan areas by utilizing s..
St. Louis Gets an Upgrade: Laclede Replaces 235 Miles of Pipelines
Like many utilities operating in urban areas, The Laclede Group is faced with aging infrastructure. The company is tackling this challenge head-on by undertaking a major upgrade to natural gas distribution systems operated by its three subsidiaries: Laclede Gas in St. Louis, MO, Gas Energy in Kansas..
Stantec Acquires Firm Focused On Resources For Built Infrastructure
In the second quarter of 2016, Stantec announced the completion of its acquisition of MWH Global – a 6,800-person engineering, consulting and construction management firm focused on water and natural resources for built infrastructure and the environment. This acquisition expands Stantec’s position ..
While Water Rates Rise, Infrastructure Remains In Jeopardy
A survey published by Circle of Blue – an award-winning network of journalists and researchers, who report on water and worldwide resource issues – reported the price of municipal water in the United States is rising faster than any other city household expense. The network’s annual water rates tra..
PG&E Tests Safety Drones For Infrastructure Inspections
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced its current testing of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, to enhance the safety and reliability of its electric and gas services. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized PG&E’s use of drones to assist with electric and gas infra..
American Water Seeks Approval Of Plan in WV
West Virginia American Water filed an application with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) seeking approval of an Infrastructure Replacement Program (IRP). The purpose of an IRP is to address the national challenge of aging infrastructure by directing additional investment to areas ..
Making A Triumph Out Of Tragedy
by Robert Carpenter Editor-in-Chief For a surprisingly large number of contractors and manufacturers in the infrastructure markets, the first half of 2016 has seen a tepid advance, even with favorable economic winds at their backs. Must be an election year. There are exceptions. The horizontal dir..
Surging 28%, US Municipal Water Infrastructure Forecast Reaches $532 Billion
Capital expenditures (CAPEX) for U.S. municipal water & wastewater utilities – including spending on pipes, plants, and pumps – are expected to exceed $532 billion between 2016 and 2025, according to new forecasts from Bluefield Research. This new outlook, which draws heavily from planned utility bu..
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