Pipelines

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 ..

Gas Line Explosion Raises Concerns About Old Michigan Pipes

ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Environmental advocates say Michigan’s aging gas pipelines have a heightened risk of corrosion or other material failure that could cause a fire or explosion. The concerns follow last month’s gas explosion in Orion Township, about 30 miles north of Detroit, The De..

Phase 1B of the Rover Pipeline Can Begin Operations

Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. has received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to place Phase 1B of the Rover Pipeline project into service. With the addition of the Phase 1B facilities, the Rover Pipeline is now capable of transporting up to 1.7 billion cubic feet per da..

SoCalGas Starts Work on Innovative Fiber-Optic Installation to Monitor Pipelines in Real-Time

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it has commenced construction on a first-of-its kind, fiber optic cable installation that will allow the company to monitor the condition of its high-pressure transmission pipelines in real-time. The fiber optic technology is being installed alo..

CPS Energy Wins 50-Year Natural Gas, Electric Distribution System Contract at Joint Air Force Base

CPS Energy has been awarded a $248 million, 50 year contract by the Defense Logistics Agency for the ownership, operation and maintenance of the natural gas and electric distribution system at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA). The company was awarded the contract through a competitive bidding proce..

Texas Water Development Board Now Accepting Applications for SWIFT Funding

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has opened the application period for the 2018 funding cycle of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program. The application period began on Dec. 8, 2017 and ends Feb. 2, 2018. “The TWDB has committed $5.6 billion in financial assistance to..

Texas Town Receives $2 Million for Water Pipeline Upgrades

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved financial assistance in the amount of $2 million, consisting of a $1 million loan and $1 million in loan forgiveness, from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to the city of Gorman. The city will use the assistance to finance construction cos..

Commercial Construction Index Reveals Continued Optimism Among Contractors

Confidence in the commercial construction industry is strong, despite significant concerns around job site efficiency and labor productivity, according to the Q4 2017 USG Corporation + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (Index). Released today, the Index shows that optimism remai..

Regulators Give Go-Ahead for Study of Lake Powell Pipeline

Federal regulators are giving the go-ahead for environmental studies and public comment about a proposed 140-mile (225-kilometer) pipeline to draw water from the Colorado River to serve southwestern Utah communities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday formally accepted a stat..

Nobody Hurt in Natural Gas Pipeline Fire

SOMERVILLE, Texas (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine what sparked a natural gas pipeline fire in Central Texas in an early-morning blaze that could be seen for several miles. The Burleson County Sheriff’s Office says nobody was hurt in the fire reported about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a rural sit..

More than 6,200 Water Pipes Replaced so far in Flint

FLINT, Mich. (AP) – The mayor of Flint says more than 6,200 water pipes have been replaced as the result of the city’s lead crisis. Mayor Karen Weaver gave an update Tuesday. The city and the state of Michigan agreed earlier this year to replace at least 18,000 lead or galvanized-steel water lines ..

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Receives Water Permit in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A panel of Virginia environmental regulators granted a conditional permit Tuesday for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, making its approval contingent on getting more information about the project’s impact on water quality. The Virginia State Water Control Board voted 4-3 t..

1st Vermont Home in Water Contamination Case Connected to New Line

BENNINGTON, Vermont (AP) — Vermont officials have connected a home with a private well affected by a suspected carcinogen to a new water line extension, the first of about 200 homes that are part of a settlement with a company. An agreement approved earlier this year has Saint-Gobain Performance Pl..

Indiana Addresses Potential Water Crisis

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Officials in Indiana are trying to prevent a water crisis as both supply and infrastructure are inadequate for future needs. A 2016 survey found that Indiana utilities have an immediate need for $2.26 billion to replace water meters, hydrants, water mains, treatment plants, well..

Fetid Attraction: London Fatberg to Go on Museum Display

LONDON (AP) — Part of a monster fatberg that clogged one of London’s sewers is destined for fame in a museum. The Museum of London says it will put the only remaining chunk of the 130-metric-ton (143-U.S.-ton) mass of oil, fat, diapers and baby wipes on display early next year. Workers f..

Virginia Regulators Weigh Key Approval for Atlantic Coast Pipeline

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — State regulators will soon decide whether to grant a key approval to the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The Virginia State Water Control Board will meet for a second day Tuesday to consider whether to issue a water quality certification for the natural gas pipeline that woul..

Environmental Groups File Lawsuit to Try to Block Pipeline

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A coalition of environmental groups has filed a federal lawsuit to try to block a natural gas pipeline planned for southwestern Virginia. The Mountain Valley Pipeline cleared its last regulatory hurdle and won state water permits Thursday. The lawsuit was filed Friday in the ..