Pipeline Construction

Merger Could Mean Pipeline Expansion into South Carolina

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dominion Energy’s planned merger with a South Carolina energy company could open the door for an expansion of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, both supporters and opponents of the natural gas project say. In a conference call about the proposed merger, Dominion CEO Tom Far..

Utah Wants Clarity on Regulatory Say over Water Pipeline Project

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah officials are seeking clarity on regulatory oversight of a pipeline to deliver Colorado River water from Lake Powell to communities in southwestern Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that state officials are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold off on ..

Broken Water Pipe Disrupts Travel in Downtown Boston

BOSTON (AP) — One of the busier streets in downtown Boston is closed after water gushed from a broken pipe. The Boston Water and Sewer Commission says it’s working to control the leak that has left Congress Street closed on Monday from New Sudbury to State Street. Officials are urging motorists and..

Sewer Spill Closes LA County's Marina del Rey Beach

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County health officials have closed a section of Marina del Rey beach after an 1,100-gallon sewage spill. Beachgoers were advised Sunday to avoid the water 100 yards up and down the coast next to the Ballona Creek outfall. The Los Angeles Times reports a sewer line..

1 Million Gallons of Sewage Spilled in Nantucket

(AP) — Massachusetts emergency officials say more than 1 million gallons of untreated sewage has spilled into Nantucket Harbor after a “catastrophic” sewer main break. They say the 20-inch mainfailed Thursday in several places on the island off the coast of Cape Cod, and they still were working to ..

Hundreds of Water Fixtures in Ohio Schools Found With Lead

TOLEDO (AP) — Ohio school districts in the past year and a half have tested drinking fountains and faucets inside hundreds of older buildings, finding that about 10 percent of the fixtures had elevated levels of lead in the water, state records show. About half of the kitchen and classroom faucets ..

Lawmakers Can't Flush as Water Systems Freeze Across South

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Cold weather is causing water woes across the South, as water mains break and people run faucets to keep pipes from freezing. Everyone on the water system in Jackson, Mississippi’s largest city, could be under a boil-water order for days because of low pressure from broken mai..

Water From Frozen Pipes That Burst Damages Iowa Casino

LARCHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — Water from frozen water pipes that burst has damaged a casino resort in northwest Iowa. Subzero temperatures outside froze the fire system pipes at the Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood. The water loosed last Saturday damaged 18 of the hotel’s 97 rooms, a me..

Wisconsin Utility to Receive Lead Line Replacement Funding

To help “Get the Lead Out” on both the private-side and public side service lines, the Green Bay Water Utility today announced it will receive $300,000 in funding from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. With the funding, the utility hopes to r..

Illinois Utility Expects Boil Order to Last Until Friday

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Illinois American Water says it expects a boil water order for the Metro-East area near St. Louis to be lifted Friday in the early afternoon. Illinois American issued the boil order Wednesday after water main breaks in the area, which includes Belleville, East St. Louis, Alo..

Freezing Temps Cause Water Main Breaks in Mississippi City

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Mississippi’s largest city says record cold is breaking water mains, leaving some customers with little or no water flow. Jackson city spokeswoman Kai Williams said Wednesday that the city knew of 37 separate water main breaks that it attributed to cold. The city has declared a..

Cold Causing Pipes to Burst, Even at Water Company

ST. LOUIS (AP) — How hard is the bitter cold weather on water pipes? In suburban St. Louis, even the water company is dealing with a pipe burst. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that an Alton, Illinois, call center for American Water had to be evacuated Tuesday night after a pipe broke. Employee..

New Orleans Agency: Weather's Warmer, Stop Running the Water

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Stop running the water. That’s the message New Orleans officials are telling city residents, now that temperatures are above freezing. The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board urged residents Wednesday to “immediately turn off their faucets to conserve water,” after many ha..

Appalachia Underground Natural Gas Storage Project Clears 1st Hurdle

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Plans for an underground natural gas liquids storage hub pegged as a major job creator for the chemical industry in struggling Appalachia have cleared their first big hurdle. The Appalachia Storage & Trading Hub initiative got approval Wednesday for the first of two applicat..

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..

Pennsylvania Halts Construction on Sunoco Gas Pipeline

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania environmental officials have ordered Sunoco to halt construction of a natural gas pipeline across the southern part of the state, citing a series of spills and other “egregious and willful violations” of state law. The Department of Environmental Protection annou..

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..

Greenville Takes Out Short-Term Loan for Sewer Project

GREENVILLE, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi city is borrowing money to help pay for improvements to its sewer system. The Delta Democrat-Times reports that Greenville City Council members voted for the $2 million short-term loan during their final meeting of 2017. The loan is a tax anticipati..

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..

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..

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..

Virginia Regulator Target of Intimidation Attempt by Pipeline Protesters

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – A member of Virginia’s water board says opponents of two proposed natural gas pipelines are trying to intimidate her. The Virginian-Pilot reports that a banner reading “Stop Poisoning Our Community!” was hung on the front porch of State Water Control Board Vice Chair Heather Woo..

Federal Judge Dismisses Legal Effort to Halt Gas Pipeline

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge has delivered a blow to some Ohio property owners’ efforts to stop construction of a high-pressure natural gas pipeline. U.S. District Judge John Adams in Akron on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed in May by more than 60 property owners. They want the Federal Ener..

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..

Iowa City May Raise Sewer User Fees for Infrastructure Upgrades

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A city in central Iowa has approved a plan to spend $73 million over 15 years to improve the city’s sewer system, a move that could lead to rate increases. The Waterloo City Council unanimously approved a sanitary sewer improvement plan Tuesday in order to comply with a ..