Water
Grain terminal settles lawsuit over storm water discharges
A Longview, Washington grain terminal will pay nearly $1 million after settling a lawsuit with the Columbia Riverkeeper that claimed the terminal operated without necessary permits meant to monitor river pollution.
Missouri city to have lead water pipes removed, once they are located
Officials believe adding monochloramine to Trenton, Missouri’s drinking water in 2014 corroded old lead pipes. By the next time the city was required to test for lead in the water in 2017, dangerous amounts were detected.
Dredging company fined $1 million for violating Clean Water Act after nicking oil pipeline
A Houston dredging company has been ordered to pay a $1 million fine for an oil spill that occurred when a subcontractor cut through an oil pipeline during barrier island restoration work off Louisiana in 2016.
Oregon hikes Port of Morrow water pollution fine to $2.1 million
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has increased the Port of Morrow’s groundwater contamination fine to $2.1 million following additional wastewater violations.
Louisiana congressmen seek more time to use Orleans Katrina infrastructure aid
Members of Congress from Louisiana are calling for federal officials to extend deadlines for spending Hurricane Katrina recovery funds on New Orleans road and water infrastructure projects.
NextEra Water enters agreement to purchase Pennsylvania wastewater system
NextEra Water Pennsylvania has entered into an agreement to purchase the Towamencin wastewater system wastewater system Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, which serves approximately 7,500 customer accounts.
PCCA Maintains Aggressive Agenda at 77th Annual Convention
Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) Chairman Bob Breeden, ElectriCom, Inc., looked around the crowded ballroom at the opening session of the 77th Annual PCCA Convention, smiled, and thanked members for showing up in such strong numbers: 405 total and 250 primary attendees, more first-timers than ever before, and a record number of sponsors.
Yellowstone road, bridge rehabilitation following floods to cost over $1 billion
Floodwaters wiped out numerous bridges, washed out miles of roads and closed Yellowstone Park last week with the scope of damage being tallied at upwards of $1 billion to rebuild in the environmentally sensitive landscape, according to officials.
Inflation rates taking toll on new US infrastructure projects
Inflation is taking a toll on infrastructure projects across the U.S., driving up costs so much that state and local officials are postponing projects, scaling back others and reprioritizing their needs.
Michigan officials believe chemical company likely source of Flint River spill
The spill, which started Wednesday, was coming from a storm sewer that discharges into the Flint River.
New Mexico reaches $32 million settlement over 2015 mine wastewater spill
The spill released 3 million gallons and water utilities were forced to scramble and shut down intake valves while farmers stopped drawing from the rivers as the contaminants moved downstream.
Northwest Pipe Company to develop transmission pipeline for Utah water project
Northwest Pipe Company has been selected to design and develop 12,200 feet of pipe for the Salem Reach 1 of the Spanish Fork Santaquin pipeline project, which will deliver water to the ten rural communities in southern Utah.
Odessa, Texas, without drinking water after pipe breaks amid scorching temperatures
Crews worked to restore water service Wednesday to the West Texas city of Odessa, where residents have been without water this week amid scorching temperatures after an aging pipe broke.
$5.4 million stormwater mitigation in Pennsylvania should resolve decades of flooding
Authorities hope a $5.4 million stormwater mitigation project in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, will put an end to decades of flooding.
Georgia water agency extends stormwater fee to non-Macon customers
The Macon Water Authority (MWA) said it will start billing homeowners in south Bibb County and Lizella a $4.99 stormwater fee each month, which will go directly toward improvements to the stormwater system, according to Joey Leverette, MWA president and executive director.
EPA reveals $6.5 billion in funding available for water infrastructure projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the 2022 notices of funding availability for the agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program, which will provide up to $6.5 billion in total funding to support $13 billion in water infrastructure projects while creating more than 40,000 jobs.
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Latest industry developments
$7 billion federal loan program brightens future for aging US dams
Eight years after Congress created the program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking a first step toward offering more than $7 billion of federally backed loans to repair aging dams owned by states, local governments and private entities across the U.S.
Vermont governor approves $104 million budget for water infrastructure projects
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signed an $8.1 billion state budget into law that delegates $104 million to water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure projects.
Ethiopia open to new negotiations over controversial Blue Nile dam in Africa
A senior Ethiopian official says his country is interested in resuming talks for the multibillion-dollar project that is expected to bring electricity to millions of off-grid Ethiopians, but Sudan and Egypt fear it will reduce the amount of water they receive from the Nile River.
House passes $25.3 billion bill to fund water protection, restoration projects
The U.S. House of Representatives have approved an infrastructure bill that will provide $25.3 billion to 22 Army Corps of Engineers to fund storm and flood protection, ecological restoration, harbor dredging and other projects around the country.
Plan to remove and restore Snake River dams deemed too costly
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, unveiled a plan last year to breach the four giant hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River in Washington state at a cost of $1.4 billion to preserve endangered salmon runs, but finding other ways to provide electricity could cost up to $27.2 billion.
North Dakota landfill OK'd for radioactive oilfield waste
North Dakota regulators approved a permit for a landfill near Williston that aims to become the state's first to accept radioactive oilfield waste.
Public water utilities say Senate bill will force up rates
Legislation criticized by opponents as a vehicle for-profit water companies to take over municipal water authorities in Pennsylvania by imposing expensive regulations on them passed the Republican-controlled state Senate on Tuesday.
Pipeline rupture in Tempe, Ariz. reveals larger water infrastructure issue
Thousands of homes in Tempe, Arizona, could be facing critically-deteriorated sewage pipes underneath them, which was exposed by a recent pipe rupture that spilled around 8 million gallons of water and closed a major Phoenix-area highway, 12 News reported.
FERC advances water storage energy project in Idaho
U.S. officials have initiated a licensing process for an energy project in southwestern Idaho involving water, wind and solar that could power nearly 300,000 homes.
New Jersey receives record 679 requests for water infrastructure improvement projects
The state of New Jersey has received a total of 679 requests totaling nearly $7 billion for necessary water quality improvements and other public-health protection projects, according to its Water Infrastructure Improvement Plan that was released last week.
Local governments turn away $73 million of federal pandemic aid
From small towns to big cities, every government across the U.S. was offered a slice of $350 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to help shore up their finances, cover pandemic-related costs and invest in community projects. For many cities and towns, those funds have been invested in sewer, water and stormwater infrastructure projects.
Lack of water in Puerto Rico town sparks federal lawsuit
Puerto Rico’s water and sewer company was hit by a federal lawsuit on Thursday demanding that it provide services to thousands of residents who lack potable water on a daily basis.
As natural gas expands in Gulf, residents fear rising damage
Developers plan to build a series of liquefied natural gas export facilities across Southwest Louisiana, despite the state seeing a string of devastating hurricanes tear through the region in recent years.
- 290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- $227 million Garnet Valley water project advances, set to create 73,000 jobs in Nevada
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
- Construction underway for $1.4 billion, 60-mile water pipeline in Chicago
- Gehl and Mustang offer world’s largest skid loader
- Growing Pains and Gains
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish