Water
Las Vegas water agency seeks power to limit residential use
State lawmakers on Monday are scheduled to discuss granting the power to limit what comes out of residents’ taps to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency managing the Colorado River supply to the city. If lawmakers approve the bill, Nevada would be the first state to give a water agency permanent jurisdiction over the amount of residential use.
Mississippi lawmakers stop effort to take over Jackson water
Mississippi lawmakers are giving up on an effort to create a state-dominated board to oversee the troubled water system in the state’s capital city.
Much of Florida Keys loses water pressure after main break
Much of the Florida Keys lost water pressure after a water main broke, blocking traffic along the main roadway on the chain of islands and forcing businesses to close early. It was the third time a water main broke in the past week in the Florida Keys.
TEPCO to select water treatment proposals for radioactive water
The water to be treated comes from the Advanced Liquid Processing System. This system removes the main radioactive isotopes present in the radioactive water, with the exception of tritium, which is stored in tanks.
House GOP votes to overturn Biden administration’s water protection rule
House Republicans used the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to block recently enacted executive-branch regulations. The measure now heads to the Senate, where Republicans hope to attract Democratic senators wary of Biden’s environmental policies.
Governor Polis signs proposal to fund 60 drinking water projects across Colorado
(UI) — The state of Colorado will now be providing funding for about 60 drinking water projects across the state, according to legislation that was signed last month by Governor Jared Polis.
Alabama to spend $400 million in funding on water, sewer infrastructure; $260 million on broadband
Alabama will spend the remaining $1 billion of its pandemic relief funds largely on a mixture of water and sewer infrastructure, broadband expansion and healthcare reimbursements, under a bill introduced Wednesday.
EPA rejects Texas claim that new water rule leads to “regulatory uncertainty”
“Plaintiffs’ claims of harm are premised on either a complete disregard for the Rule’s similarity to the status quo they seek to maintain,” the Environmental Protection Agency said.
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."
Shawcor acquires stormwater products provider to expand stormwater management solutions
Shawcor Ltd. has acquired the assets of Triton Stormwater Solutions, a privately owned provider of highly engineered, lightweight, composite materials-based underground infiltration chamber products, used primarily within stormwater management solutions.
Biden administration to require states report on water system cybersecurity threats
The Environmental Protection Agency said public water systems are increasingly at risk from cyberattacks that amount to a threat to public health.
Communities await first US limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small communities with few resources.
Mayor: Water pressure should return to NJ city after break
Officials say water pressure should gradually return to a small New Jersey city across the Hudson River from Manhattan stricken by a water main break that left most residents with no water service or low water pressure.
Idaho joins Texas lawsuit against Biden administration over federal clean-water rules
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador contend that a new interpretation of a Clean Water Act rule is too vague, oversteps the bounds of federal authority and puts the liberties of states and private property owners at risk.
Leading environmental engineering firm to study alternative water conveyance options in California
Leading environmental engineering and construction services firm Brown and Caldwell has been hired by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) to study alternative water conveyance options to provide supply diversity to the region during severe droughts.
$80 million project installs over 9.5 miles of new water mains, sewers in three NY neighborhoods
(UI) — The project replaced over five miles (26,815 ft) of older distribution water mains with new pipes ranging from 8 inches to 24 inches in diameter throughout Bayside, Auburndale and Flushing neighborhoods. More than two miles of new trunk water mains were also added, which included 5,775 ft of 72-inch mains and 8,295 ft of 48-inch mains.
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.
Boyne Capital acquires McKee Utility Contractors to expand utility infrastructure portfolio
Boyne Capital has partnered with management in acquiring McKee Utility Contractors, a water and sewer infrastructure services platform providing pipeline installation, replacement, tunneling, and boring for water, wastewater, and stormwater utility customers.
Biden administration announces $33 million for clean water infrastructure for Nebraska, Kansas
The funding will support communities in upgrading essential water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies.
New York to bring new water infrastructure to rural communities throughout the state
The program sees professionals from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. performing on-site assistance or virtual consultations. This assistance will help small communities in the state with planning, finishing projections, and funding applications.
U.S. appeals court re-establishes Trump-era water rule, energy industry celebrates
The Trump-era rule reinterprets part of the Clean Water Act that allows states and Native American tribes authority to deny approvals for interstate pipelines and other projects that pollute waterways in their areas. The new rule keeps states from blocking such projects unless they can prove the projects will directly pollute their waterways.
Toxic wastewater from Ohio train crash to be transported to Texas
The wastewater is being sent to Texas Molecular, which injects hazardous waste into the ground for disposal.
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.
Atlas Copco launches fully electric self-priming dewatering pump range solution
(UI) — The E-Pump range, which comprises the PAC High Head and High Flow models, offers an electric alternative to diesel-powered dewatering pumps. This allows customers to reduce their CO2 footprint and operate in emission-restrictive areas with no fuel consumption. This flexible solution is ideally suited for many applications like sewage bypass, dewatering in mining, and urban construction projects with access to a power source.
Vortex Companies adds small diameter pipe UV curing technology to UV CIPP solution suite
(UI) — MICROcure is specifically engineered to reline sewer mains, laterals, and interior plumbing systems ranging from 3-inch to 10-inch in diameter and works with both inversion and CIPP methods. Designed for portability, MICROcure is built on a two-wheel carriage and weighs only 176 pounds.
Ayyeka introduces new sewer overflow data management technology
(UI) — Ayyeka’s latest product, Storm Scope, addresses the endless issues connected to combined sewer overflow data management. The Storm Scope software platform collects and organizes data from remote locations, transforming distant landscapes into manageable assets.
Water utilities to be affected by EPA’s proposed PFAS regulations
In 2022, the EPA issued a health advisory saying that all levels of PFAS substances in drinking water are dangerous. According to water attorney John Kindschuh, safe levels are “so low that most if not all public water systems can’t even detect it.”
Ridgewood, IDE partner with City of Fort Lauderdale for new water treatment plant
Ridgewood Infrastructure and IDE Technologies announced the closing of a public private partnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale to design, build, and operate a new 50 million gallon per day water treatment plant – the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center.
- 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