Water

US Virgin Islands to Rebuild Roads to Accommodate Underground Infrastructure

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands says all of the territory’s main roads will be rebuilt to federal standards following the damage inflicted by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Kenneth Mapp says $530 million of the $1.2 billion needed has been pledged fo..

Study: Houston Utility Districts Resilient During Hurricane Harvey

The Association of Water Board Directors – Texas, a statewide educational and advocacy group for utility districts, has released the results of an extensive study of the effects of Hurricane Harvey on more than 960 Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) in the Houston area. According to the..

SPX to Acquire CUES

SPX Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase CUES, Inc., a leading manufacturer of pipeline inspection and rehabilitation equipment headquartered in Orlando, Fla. Under the terms of the agreement, a subsidiary of SPX will be merged with CUES’ parent company, ELXSI Corporation..

Pennsylvania Regulators Suspend Laboratory's Accreditation for Water Testing Violations

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has suspended the laboratory accreditation of Analytical Laboratory Services, Inc.’s Middletown facility (ALS-Middletown) for continued violations relating to the handling and reporting of Safe Drinking Water compliance samples. As a resu..

Water Limited During Southern California Pipeline Repairs

CLAREMONT, Calif. (AP) — Residents of several Southern California communities are being asked to limit water use this week while a major pipeline is closed for repairs. Starting Monday, the state Department of Water Resources will be fixing a portion of the Rialto Pipeline, which serves cities in p..

Eyeglass Lens Maker Fined $750K for Illegal Sewer Discharges

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge has fined an eyeglass lens manufacturer $750,000 for repeatedly discharging hazardous waste into Clackamas County’s sewer system in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon fined Carl ..

Professor Tries to Clean PFCs from Minnesota Water

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Simcik has invented a sponge that might be able to clean up one of Minnesota’s worst water-pollution problems, the PFCs in Washington County groundwater. His technique involves putting absorbent material underground. “This stuff is sticky. It sticks to the soil, and the..

Western Arizona Eyed as Water Source for Major Metro Areas

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A week into her appointment last fall as a Mohave County supervisor in western Arizona, Lois Wakimoto heard the words that would consume her since: We have a water problem. The entity that sends Colorado River water throughout Arizona wants to buy farmland in her district th..

Feud Erupts Between Utility, States over Colorado River

DENVER (AP) — Tension over the drought-stressed Colorado River escalated into a public feud when four U.S. states accused Arizona’s largest water provider of manipulating supply and demand, potentially threatening millions of people in the United States and Mexico who rely on the river. The four st..

Hawaii Lawmakers Provide $125M for Flood Repairs

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are appropriating $125 million to help with flood relief efforts on Kauai and elsewhere in the state. House and Senate leaders said Wednesday the money would support road, bridge and infrastructure repairs. Rescuers and volunteers used jet skis and helicopters to e..

Air Force to Buy Water, Help with Filters for Colorado Towns

reported Wednesday the Air Force will purchase clean drinking water and pay for operating and maintaining filter systems. ..

Ditch Witch, Vacuworx Form Vacuum Lifting Technology Partnership

Ditch Witch has partnered with Vacuworx to bring the benefits of vacuum lifting technology to an expanded network of underground construction contractors, landscapers, municipalities and utilities. Vacuum lifting systems are designed to use constant vacuum pressure to handle heavy loads, such as st..

DC Water’s New Anacostia River Tunnel Passes First Major Test

Earlier this week, as heavy rains battered the District of Columbia, DC Water’s newly opened Anacostia River Tunnel System prevented approximately 170 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater from being discharged to the Anacostia River. DC Water placed into operation t..

Flint Water Group on Hold Due to Spat Between Mayor, State's Governor

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A group that regularly meets in Flint to discuss the city’s recovery from contaminated water is caught in a spat between the mayor and Gov. Rick Snyder. Snyder canceled a Friday meeting of the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee after Mayor Karen Weaver threatened to ..

New York Awards $2.9 Million for Lake Ontario Flooding

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo awarded $2.9 million in Lake Ontario Flood Relief funds to local governments in Wayne, Orleans, Niagara, Cayuga, and Jefferson counties dedicated to restoration resiliency and recovery efforts following last year’s flooding and to protect the community from the damage..

New York City Celebrates National Work Zone Awareness Week

New York City recently held a ceremony recognizing the importance of keeping public works and utility employees safe in honor of National Work Zone Awareness week, April 9–13.  The event took place along the Grand Central Parkway in Corona, Queens. “The men and women of DEP who build and maintain t..

Researchers: Reducing Stormwater Runoff Helps Water Quality

BALTIMORE (AP) — Researchers say they have confirmed what environmentalists have long known: Stormwater runoff reduction projects help the environment, while leaking sewage hurts it. Alice Volpitta, the water quality manager at Blue Water, tells The Baltimore Sun that the study tracked 20 years of ..

Flint Mayor's Plea to Continue Free Bottled Water Sites Rejected

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The mayor of Flint says Gov. Rick Snyder rejected her face-to-face plea to reverse his decision ending free bottled water. Mayor Karen Weaver met with the governor Monday, 10 days after he said water distribution would end, based on improved water quality. For months, Flint’s l..

Nearly $74 Million Awarded for Texas Water and Sewer Projects

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved more than $73 million in financial assistance from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the following pipeline construction projects: $64.69 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to..

Independent Tests Show Flint Water Quality is Improving

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Independent tests are confirming that water quality in Flint has improved. The tests were required under a legal settlement between the state of Michigan and Flint residents. The Natural Resources Defense Council said Friday that tests at 92 homes showed lead levels far below th..

West Virginia American Water Launches 2018 Infrastructure Upgrade Map

West Virginia American Water has launched its 2018 Infrastructure Upgrade Map, an online application enabling customers to view details about water main replacement projects and other water distribution system upgrades throughout the company’s service area. “We owe it to our customers to demonstrat..

Michigan Lawmakers Seek Action to Reopen Flint Water Sites

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Two Flint-area lawmakers are urging Attorney General Bill Shuette to take immediate legal action to reverse Gov. Rick Snyder’s decision to close bottled water distribution sites in the city dealing with a lead-tainted drinking water crisis. Democratic Reps. Sheldon Neele..

$25 Million Awarded to Train and Assist Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $25 million in grants to help the country’s small drinking and wastewater systems and private well owners better protect public health and the environment. Those receiving grants include: National Rural Water Association ..

California Water Pipeline Repairs Scheduled, Residents Urged to Reduce Usage

Officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), Three Valleys Municipal Water District and local retail agencies are urging nearly 1 million consumers in Southern California’s Inland Valley to reduce water use as Metropolitan prepares..

Construction Begins on $46 Million Sewer, Water Project in New York City

New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio announced that construction has begun on a $46 million project in the Tottenville section of Staten Island. As part of the project,..

Water Agency Approves $11B for California Twin Tunnels Plan

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s largest water agency on Tuesday approved a nearly $11 billion plan to help fund two enormous tunnels, breathing new life into Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious and controversial plan to remake the state’s water system. The board of the Metropolitan Water District of..

North Carolina Agency Says Chemical Makers Lied

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina should tackle an emerging problem of water and air pollution from little-studied industrial chemicals by beefing up the state’s health and environmental agencies, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday. Cooper proposed spending $14.5 million to help improve the ability of ..

Pennsylvania Regulators Develop Tool to Improve Chesapeake Bay Water Quality

About 200 leaders from municipal governments, county conservation districts, agriculture, environmental groups, water companies, and other entities today participated in a meeting hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expand local engagement in Phase 3 of the pla..

Twin Tunnels Considered Again for California Water Project

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A week after Southern California’s largest water agency abandoned a plan to pay for much of the state’s ambitious water project, the funding proposal will be debated again. The Tuesday vote by the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California could put bac..

Michigan to Close Flint's Free Bottled Water Sites

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Four remaining free bottled water stations will close in Flint, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced Friday, more than two years after the state opened them in response to a man-made, lead-tainted drinking water crisis that threatened the health of its residents. The statement ..