Stormwater
Jersey City to upgrade sewer system
The Jersey City, NJ, Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA) will spend more than $52 million on sewer repairs and upgrades and pay a civil penalty of $375,000 after repeated violations of the Clean Water Act, according to a settlement with the federal government.
County approves wastewater tunnel
On July 14, the Johnson County, KS, Board of Commissioners authorized construction of an underground effluent pipe between the treatment plant to a discharge point on the river.
Jefferson County seeks better deal to settle debt
In an effort to avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, officials in Alabama’s Jefferson County extended until mid-September talks with creditors holding $3.14 billion in debt incurred after officials borrowed money to fix their troubled sewer system and then entered into a number of complicated and corruption-laced refinancing deals that backfired in 2007 with the mortgage lending crisis. Those schemes also resulted in the conviction of a number of local officials and businessmen.
Fighting City Hall
Extreme economic hardships for many municipalities are pushing some cities to consider extreme actions – such as the rarely occurring municipal bankruptcy. Consider the case of Birmingham/Jefferson County, AL.
Northeast Ohio regional sewer plan approved
In an effort to clean up Lake Erie that began with the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent has approved a 25-year regional sewer district plan to reduce the amount of untreated waste that is dumped into local waterways, usually during flooding.
Public-private solutions proposed to repair decaying water infrastructure
In the keynote address to the 2011 Pennsylvania Infrastructure Summit, Pennsylvania American Water President Kathy L. Pape said recently that expecting government bailouts is not a realistic, long-term solution to fix aging water and wastewater systems, which require tens of billions of dollars of capital investment.
Cities, counties getting funds for stormwater-control projects
The U.S. State Department of Ecology has announced the list of 43 cities and counties in the state of Washington that will get a share of $23.4 million to plan, design and build stormwater retrofit and low-impact development facility projects.
New guide helps municipalities monetize the value of green infrastructure
Quantifying the economic value of green infrastructure's benefits is the key to helping municipalities adopt this innovative and cost-effective stormwater management approach, according to a new report by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and American Rivers.
Rapid Response Minimizes Pipe Failure at Encina Wastewater Treatment Plant
A sewage spill is a disaster that no city wants to experience, but as America’s wastewater infrastructure ages, these types of accidents will be occurring more frequently. The city of Carlsbad, CA, recently had the opportunity to test their preparedness for such a situation.
Baby Steps: 14th Annual Municipal Survey
After more than two years of declining revenues, tightening budgets and helplessly watching from the sidelines as their sewer and water infrastructure continues to decay and they are increasingly struggling to maintain current service levels, U.S. municipal personnel are hoping to experience at least a minor measure of improvement in 2011.
BC Hydro to upgrade Vancouver system
BC Hydro began construction in November 2010 on a $200-million transmission system for Vancouver’s central neighborhood, making its first significant investment in the city’s power grid in 30 years. The project includes boring a tunnel under False Creek and building a new substation in Mount Pleasant.
DeKalb reports major sewage spill
In Georgia’s DeKalb County, officials say 12,600 gallons of raw sewage spilled near Emory University on Jan. 16. A sewer pipe under Hancock Drive burst, spilling the untreated sewage into Peachtree Creek behind the college campus, according to DeKalb watershed management records.
Indianapolis plans to provide cleaner water
The Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of Indiana have reached an agreement with the city of Indianapolis on important modifications to a 2006 consent decree that will make Indianapolis’ sewer system more efficient, leading to major reductions in sewage contaminated water at a savings to the city of approximately $444 million.
Proposed HDD To Advance Water System On Hawaiian Islands
The Kauai Board of Water Supply has issued a Request for Proposals for a water development project that uses groundbreaking advances in the art of horizontal directional drilling (HDD), while building on existing water development technology in the Hawaiian Islands.
Dallas’ CIP Program Presented At UCTA
Charles Stringer, assistant director of Water Operations for the Dallas Water Utilities, Dallas, TX, did double duty when he delivered presentations at two chapter meetings for the Underground Construction Technology Association (UCTA). Attendees at the Gulf Coast Chapter meeting held in Houston on Oct. 12 and those who attended the new North Texas Chapter meeting in Euless, TX, on Oct. 14 had the opportunity to hear about the city of Dallas’ recommended 2010 Capital Improvement Plan.
EPA issues Clean Water, Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Policy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Policy with the goal of increasing the sustainability of water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States. Communities across the country are facing challenges in making costly upgrades and repairs to their aging water infrastructure, which include sewer systems and treatment facilities. The new policy is part of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's priority to protect America's waters.
VUEWorks 2010
VUEWorks 2010 offers a major upgrade of its map-centric, web-enabled, GIS-integrated work order and asset management software.
Fort Worth sewers get overhaul
Sewer lines will soon be getting a major overhaul in the city of Fort Worth, TX. The city council approved a $446,192 engineering contract with White Rock Consultants to begin work on the new improvement project. Fort Worth is paying for the project using money already budgeted in the Water and Sewer Fund.
Indianapolis Shifts Utility Ownership, Ops To Charitable Trust
Early in 2011, ownership and operation of the water and wastewater utilities of the city of Indianapolis will shift from the city to a charitable trust, the Citizens Energy Group, which was established more than 123 years ago by the municipal code as the department of utilities.
Survey focuses on US cities’ water/wastewater rates
Black & Veatch has released the results of its sixth 50 Largest Cities Water and Wastewater Rate Survey, a resource for water and wastewater utilities. The survey highlights customer charges for water and sewer service for residential, industrial and commercial customers.
May WaterWorks News: Dayton water projects, Navajo gain clean water, Aqua replacing main, new CCTV tool
<a href="http://www.undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/may-waterworks-news#dayton">Dayton water projects reap benefits of stimulus bill</a> <a href="http://www.undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/may-waterworks-news?page=2#navajo">Navajo Nation to get clean drinking water</a> <a href="http://www.undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/may-waterworks-news?page=3#aqua">Aqua to replace water mains</a> <a href="http://www.undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/may-waterworks-news?page=4#cctv">New CCTV tool inspects pressurized water mains</a>
Aurora Prairie Waters Project Nears Completion
Workers placed the last piece of the Aurora Prairie Waters Project supply pipe on Thursday, February 11, 2010, nearly two years after pipeline construction began. The Prairie Waters Project will help drought-harden the city of Aurora, CO, beginning in 2011.
Know What’s Below – Call Before You Dig
Don't gamble with your safety — if you're a professional excavator or a homeowner, smart digging always requires a call to 811. Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before you dig will help protect you from injury and prevent damages to utilities, service disruptions and potential fines and repair costs.
Editor's Log: Blame And Responsibility
Politics is a tough business. Just ask the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After years of largely underfunding and ignoring the festering problem under their streets, this group authorized a “special report” stating the obvious: they’ve got serious problems with their sewer/water systems, including the underground piping infrastructure.
Changing The Communication Landscape Through Construction
It has been said that good news travels fast. In a town like Lansing, MI, news travels slightly faster. The tight-knit capital community is, without a doubt, one of Michigan’s biggest small towns. So when construction hits, the word gets around.
Princeton, IL – Small City, Big Modernization Plans
For Princeton, IL, a city of 7,500 residents, the future is now as it continues to modernize itself through a program that will eventually see all overhead electrical utility cables put underground.
Editor's Log: Survey Surprises
This issue marks our “lucky” 13th Annual Municipal Infrastructure Survey. It allows us to connect more closely with municipalities of all sizes and from all corners of the country.Tiny towns have just as many seemingly insurmountable issues as do the large metropolises. Yet, many of the concerns and issues are identical.
Study Confirms Long Life Expectancy For PE Pipe In Muni Water Systems
The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) announced an ongoing study by Jana Laboratories confirms 100-plus year life expectancy for pipe made from polyethylene (PE) when used in municipal potable water systems.
JEA Takes Lead In Proactive Sewer, Water Maintenance
Most major American cities today face multiple challenges to provide basic water and sanitary services.
InfrastructureUSA jumpstarts community involvement in infrastructure
InfrastructureUSA.org is a new nonprofit web site focused on generating “Citizen Dialogue about Civil infrastructure.”
- 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
- Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
- Ditch Witch 1030
- 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
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis