Water
Flint Schools' Chief Wants State Plan on Water Testing
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The head of Flint schools wants a comprehensive plan from the state that includes multiple rounds of testing of faucet and drinking fountain water for lead. Flint Community Schools Superintendent Bilal Tawwab says Wednesday during a news conference that students will not b..
Illinois Utility Issues Water Boil Order
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Numerous water main breaks in the metro-east area near St. Louis has resulted in a boil order for most of St. Clair County and parts of Monroe County in Illinois. Illinois American Water on Wednesday issued the boil order for most of its metro-east service area, which includ..
December 2017 News
TWDB Approves $47 Million For Houston Stormwater Project The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved $47.195 million in financial assistance from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to the city of Houston for design and construction costs associated with a stormwater management project. The..
Cold Snap Sends Baltimore Skidding With Water Main Breaks
BALTIMORE (AP) — Amid a prolonged spate of low temperatures, Baltimore has recorded nearly 30 water main breaks. News outlets report a portion of the roadway in Upper Fells Point has frozen over as a result of a leak, reported Saturday and not fixed as of late Monday. Department of Publi..
Water Service Restored in Northeast Iowa Town
EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — Water pressure has returned in a northeastern Iowa town after its water tower froze in the arctic freeze that’s covering the Midwest. The Waterloo suburb of Evansdale lost water service for a time Monday, but it’s back to a nearly normal level. Mayor Doug Faas (fahs) sa..
$52M Water Utility Project Begins in Alaska
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska business has been awarded a multi-million dollar water utility expansion project in North Pole. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Exclusive Paving will connect about 700 more parcels in and around the city to the municipal water system. Exclusive Paving bid ..
Cold Weather Causing St. Louis-Area Water Main Breaks
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bitter cold weather is causing water main breaks throughout the St. Louis region. Missouri American Water reports that more than 40 breaks have been reported in St. Louis County alone since frigid weather descended on the area more than a week ago. One neighborhood in the Fenton ar..
Michigan Scrambles to Address Chemical Contaminants in Water
LANSING, Mich. (AP) – While Flint still recovers from a lead-tainted water crisis, Michigan is scrambling to combat potential health risks in tap water that stem from chemicals long used in firefighting, waterproofing, carpeting and other products. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have..
Mayor Says Flint Focused on Replacing Lead Pipes
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Flint’s mayor says city employees are focused first and foremost on replacing lead water pipes but are also working to provide status reports required under a legal settlement. Karen Weaver issued a statement Thursday in response to plaintiffs asking a federal judge to interve..
Michigan: Flint School District not Allowing Water Testing
FLINT, Mich. (AP) – Michigan environmental officials say a Flint school district hasn’t allowed the state to flush lines or test water inside its buildings. The Flint Journal reports that Flint Community Schools officials have declined to comment to the newspaper about the issue. Schools and child ..
Nevada Town Faces $3.6 Million Suit over February Flooding
ELKO, Nev. (AP) — Dozens of northern Nevada residents are suing the city of Elko for more than $3.6 million over damage caused by extensive flooding last February. State Assemblyman John Ellison is among the 60 plaintiffs listed in the negligence suit filed earlier this month in Elko District Court..
1st Phase of Chicago Reservoir Project Designed to Reduce Sewer Overflows Completed
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have completed the first phase of the McCook Reservoir Project, a key component of MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) to reduce flood damage and sewer overflow pollution in the Chicago area. A..
Bechtel Honored for Pipeline Integrity Management Tool
Bechtel has been awarded the prestigious 2018 Digital Edge 50 Award in recognition of its new Pipeline Integrity Management (PIM) tool. With support from Bechtel’s Future Fund, an internal incubator which finances development of disruptive technologies, innovators from the company’s pipeline busines..
Ohio EPA Unveils 2018 Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Program Management Plan
Ohio EPA has finalized the 2018 Program Management Plan for the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF), which provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the quality of Ohio’s rivers, streams, lakes and other water bodies. As part of the 2018 plan, the agency is offering..
Fiber Broadband Association Releases White Paper on Fiber and 5G
The Fiber Broadband Association has released a new white paper, “The Road to 5G is Paved with Fiber,” on the necessity of fiber broadband for 5G networks. The paper explains how more wireline fiber—and a substantial amount of it—will be needed to support the next generation of our wireless networks...
Broken Water Line Causes Outage in New Mexico Town
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in Las Cruces say residents and businesses in the area of Calico Drive, Agave Lane, Cypress Court and Village Drive are experiencing an emergency water outage. They say the outage is expected to last until about 6 p.m. Monday for repairs to a broken water line. ..
Niagara Falls Officials Struggle to Fix Water Main Break
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — City officials in Niagara Falls say workers are still trying to fix a water main that ruptured last week. The Niagara Falls Water Board says the concrete line broke Friday night. The damaged line has affected water pressure in the city. Officials closed Niagara Falls High..
Portland Water Bureau Proposes Settlement with Ratepayers
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The city of Portland has reached a proposed $10 million settlement with water and sewer ratepayers who questioned spending ratepayer money on non-water-related programs. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the Portland Water Bureau and an attorney for ratepayers on Friday an..
Troubled New Orleans Sewer and Water Agency Facing Federal Audit
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The agency that oversees drainage, sewer and water systems in New Orleans faces an audit of its spending of federal money received following Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans news outlets report that the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General notified the Sewe..
SoCalGas Starts Work on Innovative Fiber-Optic Installation to Monitor Pipelines in Real-Time
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it has commenced construction on a first-of-its kind, fiber optic cable installation that will allow the company to monitor the condition of its high-pressure transmission pipelines in real-time. The fiber optic technology is being installed alo..
Study: South Florida Needs to Take Steps to Prevent Future Floods
As South Florida raises groundwater levels to fight salt water intrusion, the threat of flooding from within will only increase, according to the results of a new research study. Current groundwater levels in South Florida are a major contributor to inland flood damages, especially duri..
Texas Water Development Board Now Accepting Applications for SWIFT Funding
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has opened the application period for the 2018 funding cycle of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program. The application period began on Dec. 8, 2017 and ends Feb. 2, 2018. “The TWDB has committed $5.6 billion in financial assistance to..
Texas Town Receives $2 Million for Water Pipeline Upgrades
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved financial assistance in the amount of $2 million, consisting of a $1 million loan and $1 million in loan forgiveness, from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to the city of Gorman. The city will use the assistance to finance construction cos..
Construction Begins on Florida Water Storage Project
On Dec. 13, 2017, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined the city of Port St. Lucie, the South Florida Water Management District, and local officials at the groundbreaking ceremony for the McCarty Ranch Extension Water Quality Restoration Project. The project will reduce the..
Regulators Give Go-Ahead for Study of Lake Powell Pipeline
Federal regulators are giving the go-ahead for environmental studies and public comment about a proposed 140-mile (225-kilometer) pipeline to draw water from the Colorado River to serve southwestern Utah communities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday formally accepted a stat..
More than 6,200 Water Pipes Replaced so far in Flint
FLINT, Mich. (AP) – The mayor of Flint says more than 6,200 water pipes have been replaced as the result of the city’s lead crisis. Mayor Karen Weaver gave an update Tuesday. The city and the state of Michigan agreed earlier this year to replace at least 18,000 lead or galvanized-steel water lines ..
1st Vermont Home in Water Contamination Case Connected to New Line
BENNINGTON, Vermont (AP) — Vermont officials have connected a home with a private well affected by a suspected carcinogen to a new water line extension, the first of about 200 homes that are part of a settlement with a company. An agreement approved earlier this year has Saint-Gobain Performance Pl..
Hearing Postponed for Regulator Charged in Flint Water Crisis
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A hearing has been postponed for a state employee charged in the Flint water scandal who was to return to court for a possible plea deal with the attorney general’s office. The Flint Journal reports that a notice from Genesee District Court says Tuesday’s hearing for Adam ..
Indiana Addresses Potential Water Crisis
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Officials in Indiana are trying to prevent a water crisis as both supply and infrastructure are inadequate for future needs. A 2016 survey found that Indiana utilities have an immediate need for $2.26 billion to replace water meters, hydrants, water mains, treatment plants, well..
Technology Helps Utility Reduce Response Time to Fix Water Main Breaks
ARCOS® LLC has implemented its ARCOS CallOut® and Scheduling solution at Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Tennessee American Water to automate how the utility’s distribution department responds to customer emergencies. For Tennessee American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, responding to emergencies i..
- 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