Pipeline Construction

New Hampshire Drinking Water Commission Approves $35M in State Projects

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A state advisory commission on drinking water and groundwater has approved $35 million in grants and loans for communities across New Hampshire. One of the projects approved for funding Thursday was a statewide assessment of drinking and groundwater contamination. Others involv..

Senate Confirms McIntyre, Glick to FERC

The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nominations of Kevin McIntyre and Richard Glick to join the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). McIntyre will serve as Chairman. McIntyre, co-leader of the global Energy Practice at the law firm Jones Day, will serve out the remainder of a term that ends J..

Texas Residents Sue over Water Release During Harvey

VIDOR, Texas — More than 120 Southeast Texas residents have signed on to a federal lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers illegally took their property when it released water from a reservoir and a dam during Hurricane Harvey flooding their homes. The residents of Orange County, abo..

Dakota Access Developer, Corps Object to Tribes’ Proposal

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The builder of the Dakota Access oil pipeline and the federal agency that permitted the project are objecting to an effort by American Indian tribes to bolster protections for their water supply. Lawyers for Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners and the Army Corps of Engineers ..

Pipeline Contractor Achieves Safety Milestone

Blackeagle Energy Services today announced the company has achieved a safety-performance milestone when it recently exceeded 2.5 million man hours without a lost-time incident. “At Blackeagle, it is an expectation to work safely,” said Mike Walker, Blackeagle’s Safety Manager. “Working 2.5 million ..

Enbridge Official Testifies Aging Pipeline Needs Replacing

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An official with Enbridge Energy testified Wednesday that the company’s aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota is increasingly subject to corrosion and cracking, and that its maintenance needs are expected to grow rapidly unless the company is allowed to rep..

Sewage from Mexico Sickens Beachgoers in California

IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (AP) – The mayor of a Southern California coastal city says he was among several beachgoers sickened from sewage that flowed north from Mexico last weekend. Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina tells the San Diego Union-Tribune on Wednesday he received no advanced notice from of..

Dakota Access Developer Sued over Farmland Damage

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota farming family has sued the Dakota Access pipeline company, alleging it reneged on promises to restore farmland damaged during the oil pipeline’s construction. Slack Family Properties accuses Dakota Access LLC of fraud, deceit, breach of contract and taking p..

West Virginia Approves Mountain Valley Pipeline Again

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia environmental regulators on Wednesday lifted their suspension of the permit for building the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would carry natural gas down the center of the state. The pipeline would extend south for 195 miles (315 kilometers) in north-central W..

Wisconsin Senate Passes Lead Pipe Replacement Bill

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A proposal designed to make it easier to replace lead pipes has cleared a hurdle in the Wisconsin Legislature. The state Senate on Tuesday passed the bill on a unanimous vote. It would allow a public water utility and municipalities to finance property owners’ efforts to replac..

Failed Sewer Pipe Spews 4.5M Gallons Into New York Lake

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Officials in central New York say an aging sewer pipe that’s slated to be replaced has failed yet again, causing 4.5 million gallons (17 million liters) of raw sewage to flow into a lake. The Syracuse Post-Standard reports Onondaga County officials say the pipe that runs..

Pipeline Construction Project Hearing Kicks off in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A hearing opens in St. Paul on Wednesday on whether Enbridge Energy should be allowed to replace a stretch of its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline that crosses northern Minnesota. The 12-day “evidentiary hearing” before an administrative law judge will be a trial-like proceedi..

$2.1 Million Awarded for Ohio Sewer, Water Projects

The Ohio EPA has awarded more than $2.1 million in low-interest loans from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund to improve sewer and water systems across the state. The projects receiving funding include: $92,085 to the village of Mingo Junction to model the village’s sanitary sewer system to s..

New Jersey American Water Investing $9 Million on Barnegat Bay Peninsula Water Mains

New Jersey American Water announced it is currently investing over $9 million for the installation of new water mains in its service areas on Barnegat Bay Peninsula, stretching from Bay Head to Ortley Beach. The approximate 41,695 feet of new pipe replaces water main that has reached the end of its ..

Iroquois Pipeline President Jeff Bruner Elected Chairman of INGAA's Board of Directors

The board of directors of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America has elected Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company (IPOC) President Jeffrey Bruner as chairman of the INGAA board of directors for a one‐year term, effective immediately. “As the chairman of INGAA, Jeff will lead our industry’..

Ohio Sewer Projects Receive $3.2 Million

The Ohio EPA has awarded more than $3.2 million in low-interest loans from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund to improve sewer systems across the state. The projects receiving funding include: $300,000 to the Village of Paulding for a combined sewer separation project, which includes the inst..

Pennsylvania DEP Orders Water Utility to Make Infrastructure Upgrades

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today issued an Administrative Order requiring the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) to make critical infrastructure upgrades and repairs to its public drinking water system specifically to ensure adequate pressure and volume wi..

Lead Protection Plan Now Available for All U.S. Plumbing Companies

Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC (PRT), makers of the ePIPE, Lead-Free Leak-Free™ and LeadSmart® product lines, is celebrating National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week with the launch of its LeadSmart Lead Protection Plan for all nationwide plumbing companies and home inspectors to help ease Americ..

Black & Veatch and Aeryon Labs Launch End-To-End Aerial Pipeline Inspection Solution for Utilities

Black & Veatch and Aeryon Labs have launched an end-to-end asset management inspection solution leveraging drone technology for global energy clients. Aeryon’s commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS) hardware, software and services enable the capture of critical infrastructure condition data that is..

International Plastic Pipe Conference Extends Deadline for Papers

The organizers of the International Plastic Pipe Conference and Exhibition have announced a two-week extension of the deadline for the submission of abstracts to Nov. 15, 2017. “We have already received some major proposals for presentations and are particularly interested to receive case reference..

Texas Water Development Board Makes $90 Million Available for Hurricane Harvey Recovery

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved amendments to the State Fiscal Year 2018 State Revolving Funds Intended Use Plans making $90 million in financial assistance available for disaster recovery. The approval will enable the TWDB to provide immediate funding options to communities im..

Envirosight Publishes Sewer Rehab Strategy Worksheet

Pipeline Renewal Technologies, an Envirosight company, has published a Sewer Rehab Strategy Worksheet designed to quickly pinpoint a given pipe on a recommendation matrix.  The worksheet includes a two-axis checklist composed of 12 yes-no questions, and is a supplement to the company’s recent white ..

FAST Start Replaces More Than 5,200 Water Lines in Flint

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Service lines have been replaced at more than 4,300 Flint homes during phase 4 of an effort to help fix the city’s lead-tainted water crisis. The replaced lines are part of the city’s FAST Start initiative to put new water pipes in 6,000 homes this year. More than 5,2..

Nevada County Combating Flushable Wipes in Sewer Campaign

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Clark County Water Reclamation District is working to educate the public to keep flushable wipes out of toilets in effort to curb the buildup the product can create. The Las Vegas Sun reports the district spends tens of thousands of dollars annually to clear out buildup of it..

Milwaukee Wins Waukesha Water Contract

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee, not Oak Creek, will sell Lake Michigan water to the City of Waukesha under a new deal. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly announced the 40-year water supply agreement on Monday. Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak says for Waukes..

Kansas Gas Companies Told to Expedite Pipeline Replacement

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Corporation Commission has rejected a request from three gas companies, sticking to its original ruling that they need to speed up the replacement of obsolete pipeline deemed a safety risk. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the commission ruled in September for ..

Sacramento’s Catastrophic Peril: Flooding

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Even living here on the West Coast, Marion Townsend decided to act as floods ravaged Texas and hurricanes pounded the Caribbean in recent weeks. Her Sacramento neighborhood slopes downward from a levee that separates it from the American River, in an area that officials co..

Sewer and Septic Repair Loan Program Expanded in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) are expanding a program intended to help homeowners with repairs and connections to septic and sewer systems. The goals are to help homeowners deal with the unexpected expenses rela..

Last Boil Water Advisory Ends After Detroit-Area Main Break

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — A final boil water advisory has been lifted following last week’s water main break that affected about a dozen suburban Detroit communities. The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s office issued the all-clear Monday morning for the northwest part of Farmingt..

Lawmaker Blasts Video Game Allowing Fantasy Pipeline Attacks

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota lawmaker wants to impose new restrictions on state funding of the arts after learning about a video game that lets players zap imaginary oil pipelines with lightning bolts. Elizabeth LaPensee received nearly $3,300 from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to c..