Water
Massachusetts Public Works Honors Two Employees
Two underground construction employees were honored by the Cambridge Department of Public Works for their work in the third and fourth quarters of 2016 on March 8, 2017. Michael Abcunas, a Sewer Use Compliance Officer, and Paulo Almeida, a Construction Utility Inspector/Lic., received the organizat..
Michigan County Awards $32.7M Sewer Construction Contract
The Macomb Interceptor Drain Drainage District Board has awarded a construction contract, worth $32,710,583, to Dan’s Excavating of Shelby Township to repair the collapsed sewer interceptor along 15 Mile Road in Fraser. The board voted to approve the contract on Monday, March 13, 2017. The ..
March 2017 Business News
RDO Vermeer RDO Vermeer, part of the RDO Equipment Co. network of heavy equipment dealerships, received five awards from Vermeer including top honors, the Pinnacle Dealer Award, which recognizes talents in sales and aftermarket support. Award criterion include dealer metrics, such as parts, service..
CETCO VELOXITY-PRO Drilling Fluid Improves Cuttings Removal
CETCO’s newest drilling fluid has been created to improve cuttings removal, as well as circulation. This high-quality bentonite drilling fluid increases viscosity and lowers fluid loss. VELOXITY-PRO mixes quickly and easily in freshwater and will improve borehole stability. This NSF/ANSI Standard 60..
Kentucky Town Gets Grant to Fix Water Issues
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (AP) — The city of Olive Hill in northeastern Kentucky has been approved for a $243,000 grant to fix its aging water system that is losing about half its capacity. The grant is coming from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The city’s cast iron water line dates back to the 1960s...
New ASCE Report Shows Water Systems Need Upgrades
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) latest Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, issued every four years since 2001, recently gave the nation’s water systems a D grade, and wastewater systems a D+ grade, both of which are among the worst of the infrastructures studied in the report. ..
TRU-BORE Designed For Difficult Drilling Operations
TRU-BORE® is a highly concentrated bentonite based drilling fluid designed for difficult drilling operations in both vertical and horizontal borings. It is extremely effective high performance viscosifier for horizontal drilling applications to maintain hole integrity during pullback. It is non-toxi..
New Jersey American Water Invests $2.6 Million in System Improvements
New Jersey American Water is investing over $2.6 million in new water mains in its service areas in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. The approximate 13,650 feet of new pipe replaces water main that was installed as far back as the 1910s. The aging water lines will be replaced with ductile iron pipes...
ePIPE® Technology Awarded 17th U.S. Patent
Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC, makers of the ePIPE®, Lead-Free Leak-Free, LeadSmart™ product lines, has been granted its 17th U.S. patent, #9555453, related to its ePIPE System of “in-place” pipe restoration against leaks, harmful lead leaching and lead service lines. “ePIPE is providing super..
CUES New Easy Grout Computerized Grout Control System
CUES offers a full line of portable, truck, and trailer mounted grout rehabilitation systems for mainline, manhole, and lateral joint sealing with the latest CCTV equipment and decision support software. Its new Easy Grout computerized grout control system is designed to consolidate all the valves, ..
Buffalo Grove IL Contracts RJN Group For Rehabilitation Program
RJN Group Inc. (RJN), a consulting engineering and specialty field services firm, has a new contract with the Village of Buffalo Grove (IL) for professional engineering and specialty field services to help meet short-term program requirements of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater..
Damaged Pipe Causes Water Issues in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Portable toilets are parked outside the Mississippi Capitol, city residents are stocking up on bottled water and restaurants are evaluating whether they can stay open with little or no water from the tap. About 40,000 homes and businesses in Jackson, Mississippi, will be witho..
$60 Million OK'd to Upgrade Water and Wastewater Systems Across New York
The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors has approved nearly $60 million in grants and interest-free and low-cost loans to support vital drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across New York State. This funding will provide much-needed assistance for..
Detroit Lead Pipe Replacement Could Be Long and Costly
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit’s water chief said it could take decades and up to $500 million to remove underground water lines that could potentially threaten people’s health with lead. Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown cited the figures this week at a national water conference held in Fl..
Pittsburgh Raises $1 Million to Address Lead Contamination
Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto announced that the city has partnered with Peoples Gas and the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority to invest $1 million to provide filters to every PWSA customer to reduce high lead levels in their drinking water. The city plans to offer the free filters to all homeow..
East Chicago Officials Say $56M is Needed for Lead Crisis
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) — East Chicago officials estimate the city needs at least $56 million to deal with its ongoing lead contamination crisis. Mayor Anthony Copeland submitted an inventory on Friday to Gov. Eric Holcomb about the resources needed to address the contamination in the Calumet neigh..
50 Wisconsin Lawmakers Sign Bill to Remove Lead Lines
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Almost 50 legislators from both parties have signed onto a measure that would let utility companies raise rates to help customers replace dangerous lead service lines. Still, its sponsor, Republican Sen. Robert Cowles of Green Bay, warned supporters at the bill’s Senate committ..
Many Ohio Cities May Miss Deadline on Mapping Lead Pipes
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Many of Ohio’s public drinking water systems are in danger of missing a deadline requiring them to map out the locations of their lead pipes, the state’s Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday. Only about half the surveys from the nearly 1,900 public drinking water..
Baltimore, Industry Groups Create Water Industry Career Mentoring Program
by Sheila Joy When government and industry come together, amazing things happen. When their collaborative efforts to support under-served youth through career preparation, professional one-on-one mentorship and introductions to potential employers are deployed, lives are changed. In 2015, the Balt..
Repairs from Macomb County Sinkhole to Take Until Thanksgiving
FRASER, Mich. (AP) – It likely will take until Thanksgiving to repair damage from a broken sewer line that caused a football field-sized sinkhole on Christmas Eve north of Detroit. Macomb County Public Works chief Candice Miller said Tuesday that the cost of the work would be determined Monday when..
Flint's Water Line Replacement to Take Until at Least 2019
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The head of Flint’s water pipe replacement program says the city in Michigan hopes to finish the project in 2019. Retired National Guard Brig. Gen. Michael McDaniel coordinates the FAST Start initiative to replace lines that leached lead into homes and businesses. He made his co..
Flint Water Crisis Part Of Infrastructure Conference
FLINT (AP) – The crisis in Flint over lead-tainted drinking water will be discussed during a 3-day water infrastructure conference. The event starts Tuesday in Flint and is to focus on the need for reinvestment in municipal water and sewer systems, improving water quality and other aspects of an ag..
San Antonio Desalination Plant Supplies Water to 53,000 Homes
San Antonio Water System (SAWS) introduced a truly new drinking water source: desalination. While desalination is usually associated with sea water, SAWS project pumps salty – or brackish – water from deep in the Wilcox Aquifer under south Bexar County as the source for this purified drinking wa..
Technology Gives Utilities and Pipeline Operators Cost-Effective Way to Improve Safety
AyaWorks, a provider of effective pipeline safety and compliance management solutions for oil, gas and utility companies, has announced that their systems are approved and can be implemented immediately, in accordance with recent pipeline safety regulation amendments. The company offers utility com..
Imagine H2O Water Data Challenge Finalists Announced
Imagine H2O, the water innovation accelerator, selected 12 startups to advance to its 8th annual Accelerator Program. Over 180 startups from 20 countries registered for the Challenge. The startups will join the organization’s growing portfolio of 70 alumni companies, which represent over $1 in every..
Flint: More Corrosion Control Studies on Water Needed
FLINT, MI (AP) – Mayor Karen Weaver has told the Environmental Protection Agency that more corrosion control studies have to be done and Flint will need more than two years before the city can begin to supply its own water. The Flint Journal reports that the plan and a letter from Weaver were filed..
Bernsten Solution For Marking Underground Assets Wins Award
Berntsen International Inc.’s InfraMarker solution for marking underground assets and linking asset data to real-time GIS monitoring has received the Geospatial World Excellence Award for Technology Innovation. The award was presented by the 2017 Geospatial World Forum, which highlights the value a..
SPIDER Manhole Inspection Scanner Provides New Perspective
CUES, a leading manufacturer of closed-circuit television pipeline inspection equipment, has introduced an innovative new wireless manhole scanning technology called the SPIDER scanner. The SPIDER scanner is the only truly wireless, color, manhole inspection technology in such a lightweight and com..
EPA Invests $95 Million In California Wastewater Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $95 million in new funding to California for improvements in local wastewater infrastructure, including upgrades to the city of Holtville’s 850,000-gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant, serving 6,954 residents, to comply with water qu..
Armtec to Invest Millions in Large Diameter HDPE Pipe
Armtec is investing millions of dollars in equipment to manufacture large diameter high density polyethylene storm sewer pipe for the public and private infrastructure markets across Canada. The equipment will produce flexible pipe with bell and gasket joints, and will be certified to the appropriat..

- 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