Legal
Buc-ee’s construction resumes in Ohio following water and sewer agreement
Construction on the highly anticipated Buc-ee’s store in Montgomery County, Ohio, is back on track after Huber Heights City Council and Clark County finalized a water and sewer service agreement.
New York’s Erie County Water Authority sues PVC pipe makers for alleged price-fixing
New York's Erie County Water Authority has filed an antitrust lawsuit against major U.S. PVC pipe manufacturers, alleging they conspired to fix prices, artificially raising costs for PVC pipes used in public water systems and wastewater treatment nationwide.
AG Schwalb sues Fort Myer Construction for polluting DC stormwater system
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has filed a lawsuit against Fort Myer Construction Company, one of the region’s largest road paving firms, for illegally discharging pollutants into Washington, DC’s stormwater system.
Federal charges filed against contractors for failing to remove lead pipes in Newark, N.J.
Two officials from a construction company contracted to remove lead pipes in Newark have been charged with fraud, accused of deceiving the city by leaving the hazardous pipes in place while falsely claiming to have replaced them.
2024 water infrastructure bill gains Senate approval for key U.S. projects
The U.S. Senate has passed the bipartisan Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to advance key water infrastructure projects across the nation, including West Virginia.
Tyco reaches $750 million settlement in PFAS water contamination lawsuit
Tyco has agreed to pay $750 million, pending final court approval, to resolve claims that its products contaminated public water systems. The settlement is aimed at compensating affected water systems, including those with water sources that have tested positive for PFAS.
Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
The Environmental Protection Agency recently established new federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS, requiring states to adopt these standards to maintain regulatory control over their water systems.
Illinois governor signs bill implementing two-year pause on CO2 pipeline construction
Governor JB Pritzker has signed the SAFE CCS Act, establishing new safety standards for carbon capture in Illinois and implementing a two-year pause on CO2 pipeline construction.
Settlement reached in $312 million AFFF contamination case for public water systems
Angeion Group announced a settlement with BASF Corporation in a class action lawsuit involving all active public water systems in the United States with impacted water sources as of May 15, 2024.
Golden State Water and Cal Advocates reach $573 million settlement for rate case
American States Water Company's subsidiary, Golden State Water Company, has reached a settlement with the Public Advocates Office (Cal Advocates) concerning its water utility rate case.
Energy Transfer barred from blocking Williams’ natural gas pipeline, Louisianna judge rules
The ruling supports Williams' Louisiana Energy Gateway project, aimed at transporting gas from the Haynesville shale basin to the Gulf Coast. Energy Transfer, which is expanding its Gulf Run system, can still block Williams from using the open-cut method for pipeline installation.
MidAmerican, Mediacom, CenturyLink fined for violating Iowa’s underground infrastructure locating law
In May 2021, the State issued warning letters to MidAmerican, Mediacom, and CenturyLink regarding their companies’ failures to adequately address untimely and inaccurate locating of their underground facilities.
Tyco Fire Products to pay $750 million in proposed PFAS settlement impacting public water systems
Tyco Fire Products LP has agreed to a $750 million settlement in a class action lawsuit overseen by Angeion Group, addressing claims related to Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) impacting public water systems across the United States.
Judge blocks Department of Labor's expanded Davis-Bacon rule
(UI) — A federal judge has blocked the Department of Labor's new rule expanding the Davis-Bacon Act, siding with the Associated General Contractors of America in their lawsuit.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects proposed Rio Grande water rights settlement
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a proposed settlement among Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado regarding the division of Rio Grande River water. In a 5-4 decision, the court found the settlement insufficient because it overlooked federal government interests.
Michigan, Enbridge to battle over Line 5 oil pipeline in state court
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Enbridge waited too long to attempt to move Attorney General Dana Nessel's 2019 lawsuit to federal court. The decision reverses a prior ruling that had favored Enbridge.
Water utility trade groups to take legal action over EPA’s PFAS rule
American Water Works Association (AWWA) CEO David LaFrance and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) CEO Tom Dobbins released a statement regarding legal action related to EPA’s final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Oregon utility regulator rejects PacifiCorp’s bid to limit wildfire liability in lawsuits
Oregon utility regulators have rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits. Under the proposal, PacifiCorp would only have been responsible for paying out actual economic damages in lawsuit awards.
Federal government sues San Francisco over unauthorized stormwater, sewer system discharges
According to the federal complaint, San Francisco’s sewer system discharges of billions of gallons of combined sewage each year onto the beaches of San Francisco and into San Francisco Bay and its tributaries.
New National Security Memorandum aims to safeguard water infrastructure
(UI) — Recent cyber-attacks on water systems have underscored the urgent need for coordinated action to protect public health and the environment.
Tyler City Council updated on sewer system rehabilitations under Consent Decree
The City Council of Tyler, Texas, recently received a comprehensive update from Pipeline Analysis LLC regarding the ongoing and future rehabilitation plans for the city's sewer system as mandated by the Consent Decree.
Interior Department launches collaborative initiative to boost tribal water, sanitation infrastructure
The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and Indian Health Service unveiled a collaborative initiative aimed at bolstering safe drinking water and community sanitation infrastructure projects across Indian Country.
East Bay cities, municipal utility for violating 2014 Clean Water Act settlement with sewer overflows
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board announced that the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and six East Bay cities will be assessed $372,876 in penalties for violating settlement terms designed to prevent untreated sewage from entering San Francisco Bay.
Charleston Water System settles huge lawsuit over sewer system damage caused by non-flushable wipes
CWS brought suit in January 2021 against major U.S. companies seeking injunctive relief to remedy costly and ongoing damage to sewer systems and treatment facilities due in significant part to the inability of allegedly “flushable” wipes to break down, often clogging wastewater infrastructure and causing sewer overflows that damage the environment.
U.S. DOJ urges appeals court to reconsider forcing Enbridge to drain parts of Line 5 oil pipeline
In a public court filing, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) asserted to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that draining parts of the Line 5 oil pipeline could violate a 1977 treaty that keeps oil flowing between the U.S. and Canada.
House passes Rep. Duarte's legislation to streamline water permitting processes in the Valley
The legislation addresses existing ambiguities in NPDES permits, which have been susceptible to legal challenges, potentially stalling vital energy and infrastructure projects.
Charleston Water System faces lawsuit over “significant” sanitary sewer overflows
Since 2015, Charleston Water has had at least 176 illegal sewer overflows, many of which spilled raw sewage into Charleston’s waterways including the Ashley and Cooper Rivers and James Island Creek.
Lowell, Mass., to invest $195 million in sewer upgrades in settlement over water pollution
Lowell, Mass., has settled with the EPA and Massachusetts, agreeing to invest $195 million in sewer upgrades to reduce sewage discharges into the Merrimack River.
Court approves “historic” $1.18 billion settlement with Dupont over PFAS water contamination
The settlements encompass public water systems that have identified PFAS detections in their drinking water sources, along with systems mandated to undergo PFAS contamination testing.
13 states call on EPA to strengthen lead pipe removal proposal
Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended that all lead water pipes in the nation be replaced in a decade to mitigate health risks associated with lead exposure. Now, 13 lawyers from various states have called on the EPA to strengthen that proposal.
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- Mark Boyer named 2025 MVP of underground infrastructure industry