Inspection
California sets long-awaited drinking water limit for ‘Erin Brockovich’ contaminant
California regulators voted Wednesday to establish a drinking water limit on hexavalent chromium, a toxic chemical compound made infamous by the movie “Erin Brockovich.”
Judge orders Pennsylvania utility to release inspection records related to fatal natural gas explosion
Pennsylvania utility regulators must turn over inspection records to the National Transportation Safety Board as part of the federal agency’s probe into a fatal explosion at a chocolate factory last year, a federal judge ruled this week.
EPA fines California's East Bay cities, utilities over sewage discharges
The EPA and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board have announced fines totaling $372,876 for sewage discharge violations in the East Bay. Penalties target EBMUD and six cities for failing to prevent untreated sewage from entering San Francisco Bay.
Court approves 3M settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ in public drinking water systems
Chemical manufacturer 3M will begin payments starting in the third quarter to many U.S. public drinking water systems as part of a multi-billion-dollar settlement over contamination with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and several consumer products, the company said.
Boil advisory lifted for all of Jackson, Miss., one month later
After 30 days of boiling their water to get rid of contaminants and sometimes no water at all, Jackson residents are finally able to drink the water from the tap after officials lifted a boil water advisory put in place in mid-February when a deep freeze wreaked havoc on their water infrastructure.
OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
A federal inquiry into safety practices following a fatal trench collapse near Fulshear, Texas, has resulted in penalties exceeding $250,000 for a Houston-area contractor.
SONATRACH and Huawei launch smart fiber sensing solution for oil and gas pipelines
Utilizing Huawei's optical fiber sensing solution and live-network service management process, the smart pipeline inspection system detects external disturbances around pipelines by capturing vibration data through accompanying optical fibers.
Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
Elon Musk's Boring Company incurred fines exceeding $112,000 due to safety breaches flagged by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the construction of the Vegas Loop underground tunnel last year.
Texas regulator inspects critical underground gas infrastructure to prepare for winter weather
The inspection team has already covered most of the state’s “Tier One” facilities, which include underground gas storage sites and pipelines funneling fuel to electricity plants, among other pieces of critical infrastructure.
Extended reprieve for New Orleans water systems as saltwater intrusion slows
Authorities said that saltwater inching up the Mississippi River is progressing more slowly than projected, meaning water systems in the greater New Orleans area that draw drinking water from the river have additional weeks to prepare.
Contractor killed in San Francisco trench collapse, prompts investigation
(UI) — A contractor in San Francisco's Lower Haight died on Sept. 28 after a trench beneath a sidewalk collapsed. While five workers managed to escape, one male worker became trapped under eight feet of dirt and debris.
Ensuring quality control and proper storage of cured-in-place pipe lining
(UI) — Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) has revolutionized the rehabilitation of underground pipelines, offering a cost-effective and efficient solution. What was once considered an alternative pipe replacement solution, CIPP is increasingly becoming the accepted go-to pipe rehabilitation method.
Biden restores states' and tribes' authority over waterways, including gas pipelines
The rule, which takes effect in November, reverses a Trump-era action that limited the ability of states and tribes to review pipelines, dams and other federally regulated projects within their borders.
Advocates urge expanded public hearings about Baltimore’s water and sewer system
(UI) — The Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force announced that it would hold four in-person meetings throughout this fall before recommending a new governance model for the city’s water and wastewater system.
Houston and San Antonio face sewer, water struggles amid central US deadly heat wave
Deadly heat has gripped Texas for much of the summer and has now spread into other parts of the central U.S., where it is expected to persist for days. Triple-digit temperatures are buckling roads, straining water systems, and posing a threat to the power grid of the nation’s energy capital.
Federal judge orders utility to turn over customer information amid reports of improper water use
In a Monday court filing, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate granted a motion by Ted Henifin — the federally appointed interim manager of Jackson’s water and sewer systems — that compels Entergy Mississippi to turn over names, addresses and contact information for customers in over 30 zip codes in the area.
Sewer line repair leads to 10,000-gallon wastewater spill in Florida’s Riviera Bay
(UI) — In Pinellas County, Florida, the municipality of St. Petersburg has reported an incident involving the discharge of around 10,000 gallons of wastewater into Riviera Bay while addressing a rupture in a sewer line.
Underground gas leak unlikely cause of fatal Pennsylvania house blast
It is unlikely that natural gas seeped from an abandoned underground mine and caused a house explosion in western Pennsylvania last weekend that killed six people, state officials said Friday.
Lehigh County seeks customer help to survey 12,400 Allentown lead service lines
(UI) — Despite the Lehigh County Authority's awareness of approximately 12,400 lead service lines dispersed across Allentown, there remains a significant gap in knowledge regarding the composition of about 9,000 water service lines. To address this information deficit, the LCA has initiated a customer survey.
Ohio governor awards $135 million to 90 water infrastructure improvement projects
(UI) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik have announced grant awards totaling $135 million that will support 90 critical water infrastructure projects in 64 counties throughout the state.
South Dakota receives federal grant to remove lead in school drinking water
(UI) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $426,000 in grant funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to remove lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities across South Dakota.
Wisconsin governor greenlights funds for PFAS eradication in stormwater, sewer systems
(UI) — Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have announced new funding available to help communities address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in wastewater.
Flint contractor agrees to settlement of lead contamination lawsuits
Flint families sued LAN and another contractor, Veolia North America, accusing them of not doing enough to get Flint to treat highly corrosive water or to urge a return to a regional water supplier.
Sewer main failure causes water contamination in Georgia’s One-Mile Branch Creek
(UI) — The Utilities Department was able to detect a failure in an eight-inch sanitary sewage main after a thorough investigation and video inspections.
3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of water systems with ‘forever chemicals’
Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over the contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday.
The water in Mississippi’s capital is safe to drink, city officials say
Jackson has struggled with water problems for decades. Most of the city lost running water for several days in August and September after heavy rainfall exacerbated problems at the city’s main water treatment plant.
Republican lawmakers propose plan to combat PFAS pollution in Wisconsin
Republican legislators have proposed a sweeping new plan to address PFAS pollution that would create grants for local governments, limit regulators’ ability to delay projects on polluted property and mandate studies on how to treat contaminated water.
Wisconsin environmental regulators settle wastewater lawsuit with large dairy farm
One of Wisconsin’s largest dairy operations has settled with state environmental regulators, which calls for the company to eventually stop spreading liquid manure in exchange for avoiding groundwater monitoring requirements.
Researchers develop safety monitoring system for construction sites
(UI) — University of Houston computer scientists have developed a new system to keep construction workers safe at job sites. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 4,764 workers died on the job in 2020. Employees in construction and extraction occupations accounted for 20% of those deaths.
Iowa’s water infrastructure rated “mediocre” by engineering group
(UI) — The Iowa section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2023 Report Card for Iowa’s Infrastructure on Tuesday, with the state’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure receiving a grade of “C” and “C-.” Its energy and stormwater infrastructure received a grade of “C+” and “D+.” According to the report, a C is considered “mediocre,” while a D is “poor.”
- North America 2024 Pipeline Construction Outlook: New LNG Terminals Lead Call for More Pipelines
- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
- Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
- Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to create septic codes throughout the state
- Indiana American Water to gain 8,000 water customers with Silver Creek Water acquisition
- New York State OKs $57.8 million underground transmission line linking Nanuet to West Nyack
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis