Water Asset Management
Middlesex Water Company invests $11.1 million in New Jersey water infrastructure upgrades
Under this annual initiative known as RENEW, Middlesex intends to replace 26,000 linear feet of water main. Concurrently, Middlesex will be implementing its “Knocking Out Lead” program to remove any lead or galvanized steel service lines it encounters.
Biden administration outlines two plans to conserve Colorado River water in Western states
One option would be more beneficial to California and some tribes along the river that have high-priority rights to the river’s water. The second option is likely to be more favorable to Nevada and Arizona, who share the river’s Lower Basin with California and say it’s time for an approach that more fairly spreads the pain of cuts.
Native American tribe, US government strike deal to save Colorado River water
The $233 million pact with the Gila River Indian Community, announced in Phoenix, was hailed as an example of the kind of cooperation needed to rescue a river crucial to a massive agricultural industry and essential to more than 40 million people in seven Western U.S. states and Mexico.
PURIS enhances potable water rehabilitation leadership, acquires D&D Water & Sewer
(UI) — PURIS, a provider of trenchless infrastructure renewal solutions, has announced the acquisition of the assets of D&D Water & Sewer Inc. Headquartered in Canton, Mich., D&D provides the region with specialized underground infrastructure installation and repair solutions.
Ethiopia, the Netherlands endorse digital twin water management initiative
The Ethiopian SDG6 Water Management initiative aims to reduce non-revenue water, increase water quality, and improve access to water by leveraging digital technology. The solution will measure, report, and verify the outcomes of water management using digital twins in a fully digital and transparent manner.
ACWA applauds California governor’s Executive Order easing drought restrictions
“ACWA also appreciates the governor’s continued emphasis on streamlining the regulatory approval process for critical water infrastructure projects and his commitment to making groundwater recharge a priority," said Executive Director Dave Eggerton.
United Nations: 46% of the world population lacks access to basic water sanitation
The biggest source of pollution is untreated wastewater. “Globally, 80% of wastewater is released to the environment without any treatment, and in many developing countries, it’s pretty much 99%.”
EPA awards another $2.4 billion to states for water infrastructure projects
he EPA has awarded over an additional $2 billion to various states from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for clean water projects, according to Engineering News-Record.
Maricopa County rejects city plan to restore community’s water
Supervisor Tom Galvin called the plan to bring the water supply back for Rio Verde Foothills “bureaucracy at its worst."
North Carolina to spend $463 million on local water infrastructure improvement projects
According to the governor’s office, the state is able to increase its water infrastructure investments, thanks to sources such as the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
USG becomes independent company to provide water asset management and rehabilitation services
USG’s offerings include maintenance services for water storage tanks, pipe networks, and concrete structures in water and wastewater plants.
Olea Edge Analytics launches AI technology to improve water utility services in California
Olea’s Meter Health Analytics (MHA) solution uses AI technology to provide previously unattainable insights into the performance of commercial and industrial water meters, which can have an outsized impact on both water loss and utility revenue.
Texas partners with water utility solutions provider to transform water management
The City of Sugar Land will place Olea’s Meter Health Analytics (MHA) solution on 25 large commercial meters in its systems, looking for signs of water loss, inaccurate readings and malfunctioning components.
Train derailment prompts water utility to take precautions
A West Virginia water utility is enhancing its water treatment process as a precaution following the derailment of a train hauling chemicals that later sent up a toxic plume in Ohio.
Jacksonville, Florida partners with artificial intelligence company to improve stormwater fee assessment
Jacksonville, Florida, will use various state-of-the-art technologies to create a high-resolution map of over 350,000 parcels in Duvale County. These technologies include artificial intelligence, ariel imagery, and geographic information systems. The goal of the project is to streamline private property assessments to determine landowner responsibilities according to the IAC program.
Unclear whether post-Sandy repairs will be enough for the next big storm
After Superstorm Sandy struck the northeast U.S. in 2012, an unprecedented effort began to fortify the densely populated coastline against the next big storm. Then, last year, the region learned that even all those precautions might not be enough in an age of more powerful storms.
Mississippi water investigations said to test Biden racial equity pledge
Federal investigations into public spending on the failing water system in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city are a test of President Joe Biden’s commitment to racial equity, one of his congressional allies told hundreds of people at a town hall meeting hosted by the NAACP.
US Justice Department sues Idaho city over water pollution
The federal government is suing a small Idaho town near Grand Teton National Park for dumping toxic waste from its sewage treatment plant into a stream that feeds several scenic rivers in the region.
EPA civil rights case targets Mississippi over Jackson water
The federal government is investigating whether Mississippi state agencies discriminated against the state’s majority-Black capital city by refusing to fund improvements for its failing water system.
Colorado OKs reusing wastewater for drinking, creating new supply
Colorado’s water quality agency gave unanimous preliminary approval to regulate direct potable reuse — the process of treating sewage and sending it directly to taps without first being dispersed in a larger water body.
Worker admits dumping raw industrial waste into Jackson water system
An employee of a Mississippi wastewater hauling company pleaded guilty in federal court for his part in illegally discharging industrial waste into the capital city’s sewer system.
Vermont town employee quietly lowered fluoride in water for years
Residents of a small community in Vermont were blindsided by news that one official in their water department quietly lowered fluoride levels years ago, giving rise to worries about their children’s dental health and highlighting the enduring misinformation around water fluoridation.
27 municipalities selected to participate in NY clean water infrastructure program
(UC) — Governor Kathy Hochul has selected 27 municipalities to participate in a program in New York that will help develop asset management programs to evaluate, monitor, protect, and responsibly plan upgrades for wastewater infrastructure facilities.
Aging infrastructure led to E. coli in Baltimore water
Aging infrastructure contributed to an E. coli contamination of the city of Baltimore’s water system in early September, officials said last week.
Jackson’s water system at the mercy of political spending rhetoric
Years before people in Jackson were recently left without running water for several days, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves claimed to have helped block money to fund water system repairs in the capital city.
Water.org unveils $1 billion plan for water access in Africa, Asia, Latin America
The Water.org Water & Climate Fund plans to use $50 million in philanthropic money to create a billion-dollar investment portfolio to help bring new water delivery and wastewater treatment projects to underserved communities, then use those communities’ utility bills to fund further projects.
Lawyer: Mississippi capital’s water issues to be best handled by court system
(UC) — A New York City-based attorney who has filed federal lawsuits against Jackson, Mississippi, since October 2021 thinks the court system is best suited to handle the decades of neglect that led to the current infrastructure crisis.
Grand Canyon’s South Rim restricting water after waterline breaks
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will begin phasing into greater water restrictions and conservation measures due to a series of breaks in the Transcanyon Waterline.
EPA blocked from appealing key ruling as Flint residents pursue water claims
A judge blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from appealing a key ruling in a long-running lawsuit claiming negligence by the federal government in Flint’s lead-contaminated water in 2014-15.
Mississippi business owner pleads guilty in clean water case
The co-owner of a Mississippi fat and oil recycling business has pleaded guilty for his role in illegally discharging industrial waste into the City of Jackson’s sewer system, federal prosecutors said.
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- 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
- Construction worker killed in trench collapse near Prosperity, S.C.
- Final construction phase kicks off for Indianapolis deep rock tunnel
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes