Water
Judge tosses charges against 7 people in Flint water crisis
A Michigan judge dismissed charges Tuesday against seven people in the Flint water scandal, including two former state health officials blamed for deaths from Legionnaires' disease.
South Dakota natural resources department to provide $167 million for infrastructure projects
(UC) — A new drinking water well, connection piping, sanitary sewer repairs and water line replacements are among the projects that will be funded by $167.2 million in grants and loans from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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.
EPA awards New Mexico $26 Million to repair water infrastructure
(UC) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $26 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Finance Authority for water infrastructure improvements.
Ohio governor announces $2.5 million in funding for water infrastructure upgrades
(UC) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson announced that $2.5 million in H2Ohio grants will go to four local communities to help improve drinking water quality and to repair or replace aging water and wastewater infrastructure.
Officials find several violations of lead in water pipe systems throughout Jackson, Mississippi
Officials in Mississippi’s capital city said Wednesday that workers have found lead in water pipes at 16 buildings out of nearly 24,000 checked so far — the latest indication of problems in Jackson’s long-troubled water system.
New York governor kicks off construction on $11 million wastewater treatment project
(UC) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul has commenced construction on an $11 million wastewater collection and treatment facilities improvement project in St. Lawrence County, New York.
Study finds 220-mile gas pipeline ready to be converted into water transport system
(UC) — The study identified practical off-take locations, pumping stations, cleaning, retrofitting and other improvements that will enable the pipeline to be pressurized and convey approximately 25,000 acre-feet of water per year (AFY) uphill from Cadiz to Barstow on its way to the State Water Project, and approximately 30,000 AFY downhill into Cadiz for storage.
North Carolina investing $13.2 million to create water distribution system
(UC) — This investment will provide Sampson County with $13.2 million to design and construct a new public water supply system in the Ivanhoe area. The water supply system will create 40 miles of new water lines, connect over 350 homes and includes the connection fees for each home.
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.
EPA preparing plan to help fix Jackson's water system
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan returned to Mississippi's capital city Monday to meet with Jackson officials about the city's troubled water system.
EPA awards $1.3 billion for water infrastructure upgrades to 18 states
Using money from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted 18 states more than $1.3 billion for water infrastructure upgrades.
Alabama approves $348 million for water, sewer repair projects
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management awarded $348 million in grants and loans to repair and upgrade crumbling, malfunctioning and overwhelmed water and sewer systems in Alabama, benefiting residents in nearly three-quarters of the state’s counties.
Water restrictions lifted in LA County after pipeline repair
Water officials lifted a temporary ban on outdoor watering in parts of Los Angeles County after emergency repairs were completed on a pipeline that brings Colorado River water to Southern California.
Connecticut governor commends $53 million award from EPA to improve water infrastructure
(UC) — Governor Ned Lamont applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that Connecticut would receive over $53 million in federal funding from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for water infrastructure improvements.
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.
State cracks down on Flint company after Flint River spill
State regulators on Monday ordered a Flint chemical company to truck wastewater to a water treatment plant, weeks after it was blamed for an oily discharge in the Flint River.
Racism seen as root of water crisis in Mississippi capital
Jackson had already been under a state health department boil-water notice for a month when flooding back in August overwhelmed the treatment system. Water pressure abruptly dropped, emptying faucets for days. How did this happen? Residents, politicians, experts and activists say systemic racism is the root cause.
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.
Sacramento Water Works recognized as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Communities often don’t recognize the importance of civil engineering works until they face monumental challenges, which is what happened in Sacramento during the 1850s. The American Society of Civil Engineers recognized the city's Water Works as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
$40 million Detroit project to increase capacity in local, regional sewer system
(UC) — The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department has revealed a five-year, $40 million project that redirects rainwater and snowmelt from a westside neighborhood into two new detention basins, as well as provides other neighborhood improvements.
Prosecutors in Hawaii unseal public corruption, bribery case surrounding wastewater contracts
Milton Choy, the owner of a Honolulu company that provides wastewater services and supplies, is accused of bribing Stewart Olani Stant, who was a wastewater manager and then director of the Maui County Department of Environmental Management.
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 inspector general probes Mississippi capital water woes
An independent watchdog in the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it’s being brought in to investigate the troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city.
Baltimore lifts boil water advisory after bacteria tests
Baltimore officials have fully lifted a boil water advisory for the western part of the city, days after bacteria was detected in water supply samples.
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.
NYC housing complex water OK after incorrect arsenic reading
Water at a public housing complex is OK to drink after earlier tests incorrectly showed the presence of arsenic, city officials said Saturday.
Governor Hochul awards $232 million for water infrastructure projects across New York
Governor Kathy Hochul has authorized more than $232 million to seven municipalities for drinking water and sewer infrastructure projects across New York, the governor announced last week.
Judge: Pipeline can operate on Indian reservation amid reroute work
The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued Enbridge in 2019 demanding it remove the section of line that runs across the tribe's reservation in Ashland County. The tribe is concerned the pipeline could rupture and contaminate its drinking water.
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.
- 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