Sewer

Pipeline Rupture Spills Wastewater into Carson River

RENO (AP) – An unknown amount of wastewater effluent has spilled into the Carson River in the Lake Tahoe area. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that according to the Douglas County Sewer Improvement District, officials noticed the rupture in Minden on Tuesday and repaired the break on Wednesday..

Missouri PSC Sets Deadline for Proposed Water and Sewer System Sale

Lake Region Water & Sewer Co. and Camden County Public Water Supply District Number Four have filed a joint application with the Missouri Public Service Commission seeking authorization for Camden County to acquire Lake Region’s existing water and sewer assets. Applications to intervene and partici..

Officials: Drilled Hole in Pipe May Have Caused Michigan Sinkhole

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A hole drilled through a concrete sewer line nearly 40 years ago may have led to soil erosion beneath another section of the pipe and the football field-sized sinkhole that has forced 22 families from their suburban Detroit homes. Macomb County Public Works Comm..

Company Increases Use of Drones to Inspect Electric Transmission Lines

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Westar Energy is increasing the use of drones for such things as inspecting equipment, navigating remote areas and managing some emergencies, as the utility tries to improve safety and efficiency while also saving money, company officials said. Westar and Kansas State University..

Barbies and Bacon Grease Keep Houston Sewer Crews Busy

HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron McCall had fed about a dozen feet of green hose into the sanitary sewer line running from Daniel Castillo’s house, blasting pressurized water toward the main city pipe, when the ground let out a deep belch. “OK,” said McCall, a city utility worker. “There, it’s down.” The Hous..

Smoke Testing Helps Georgia County Identify Sewer Lines in Need of Repair

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) recently completed 400 miles of sewer pipe smoke testing, and identified public and private lines in need of repair. The smoke testing of sewer lines is one type of required assessment outlined in DeKalb County’s 2011 federal Consent Decree..

Pennsylvania American Water Acquires Scranton Wastewater System

Pennsylvania American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water, has completed the acquisition of the wastewater system assets of the Scranton Sewer Authority (SSA). The purchase price is approximately $195 million. The newly acquired system provides wastewater service to approximately 31,..

All Hands on Deck to Fix Broken Sewer Line in Michigan

FRASER, Mich. (AP) — The new public works commissioner in a suburban Detroit county is declaring “all hands on deck” to fix a broken sewer line that has created a major sinkhole and forced the evacuation of 22 homes. Former U.S. Rep. Candice Miller used her first day in office Sunday to urge Macomb..

Report: Future of Water and Wastewater Pipe Market Looks Bright

According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of the water and wastewater pipe market looks promising with opportunities in the potable water pipe, wastewater pipe, and irrigation pipe applications. The global water and wastewater pipe market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5% ..

Fitch Ratings: U.S. Water and Sewer Outlook Stable Despite Uncertain Regulatory Environment

Fitch Ratings has released the “2017 Outlook: Water and Sewer Sector.” According to the report, the 2017 rating for the municipal water and sewer sector is Stable. “Despite significant news this year related to lead water service lines in Flint, MI, the municipal water and sewer industry is otherwi..

West Virginia Gets Grants for Water, Sewer Projects

CHARLESTON (AP) — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has announced $12 million in federal grants for 12 water and sewer projects, including $1.3 million to help replace a sewer system in McDowell County that allows raw discharges into the Clear Fork River. Others include $1.5 million for Cairo’s repair of..

Feds Sue Virginia County for Blocking Sewer Permit for Mosque

CULPEPER, Va. (AP) – The Justice Department is suing Culpeper County, alleging the board of supervisors acted in a discriminatory manner when it denied a sewage permit for a proposed mosque. The Justice Department filed the suit Monday, asking a federal court to order the county to grant the necess..

University of Michigan, Google Create Flint Water Crisis App

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan and Google have teamed up to create an app and website aimed at helping Flint residents and officials deal with the lead-contaminated water crisis. Mywater-Flint was developed by computer science researchers at the university’s Flint and Ann Arbor camp..

Michels Upgrades Sewer and Catch Basin Cleaning Service

Michels Pipe Services has added a cost-effective, environmentally sound approach to sewer and catch basin cleaning in the Midwest. The service augments Michels’ comprehensive water and sewer maintenance and rehabilitation services throughout the nation. Michels recently purchased eight Camel 1200 w..

Colorado Celebrates “Water Research Foundation Day”

Colorado Governor John W. Hickenlooper proclaimed December 5, 2016 “Water Research Foundation Day,” in honor of The Water Research Foundation, a leading sponsor of innovative research supporting the water community.  Originally based in New York, WRF has been a member of the Colorado business commun..

Florida DEP Awards $150,000 Grant for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded a $150,000 grant for wastewater infrastructure improvements in Midway to eliminate failing septic tanks and provide sewer services. The project was funded through a 2016-17 state legislative appropriation. “We are pleased to partne..

The Great Lakes Water Utility Energy Challenge Launches

The Great Lakes Protection Fund and American Water Works Association have launched The Water Utility Energy and Efficiency Challenge, an innovative program which engages water operators in a competition to reduce the emissions sourced in their energy generation. The competition is aimed at connectin..

Major Underground Utility Infrastructure Conference Brings Education, Equipment To Fort Worth, TX

The 2017 Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) is taking its benchmark education program to the Fort Worth Convention Center, Jan. 31-Feb. 2. Presented by Underground Construction magazine, UCT is the largest event in the United States focusing on undergroun..

Louisiana Parish to Get Loan to Rehabilitate Sewer System

HAHNVILLE, La. (AP) – Officials say St. Charles Parish is in line to receive a low-interest $8 million loan from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality that will be used starting next year to rehabilitate the parish’s sewer system. The New Orleans Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/2gb94kR)..

Commission: Michigan Should Spend $4 Billion More Annually on Infrastructure

(AP) – A report ordered by Gov. Rick Snyder says Michigan must spend $4 billion more annually to upgrade infrastructure that includes roads, water systems and the power grid. The study released Monday says the state and local governments spend less than the U.S. average and in surrounding states. ..

Florida Proposes $820,000 Fine for Sewer Spills

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – State authorities are proposing to fine the city of St. Petersburg nearly a million dollars due to spills from its aging sewage system. The Tampa Bay Times reported Saturday that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection plans to fine the city $820,000. Since A..

New Hampshire Residents Sue Over Upgraded Wastewater Treatment Plant

PORTSMOUTH (AP) — A group of residents in Portsmouth have sued the city, state, and federal government, saying an upgraded wastewater treatment plant under construction lacks the capacity to handle sewer needs. The Portsmouth Herald reports the group filed the suit in federal court in Concord on We..

Firefighters Rescue Worker from Kansas City Trench Collapse

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A federal agency is investigating after firefighters had to rescue a man trapped in a mud trench at a Kansas City work site. OSHA says an employee of Hydro Tech Plumbing was injured after the trench he was working in collapsed. The worker was repairing underground sewer lines in ..

Companies Fault Sewer Pipes for Groundwater Pollution

BETHANY, Okla. (AP) — Two companies that operated a now closed aerospace plant argue that groundwater pollutants threatening to contaminate the city of Bethany’s municipal water supply are a result of the city’s 67-year-old clay sewer pipes, not the shuttered plant. A plume of the solvent tetrach..

Water Research Foundation Appoints John Albert as Chief Research Officer

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) has appointed John Albert as Chief Research Officer. Albert will contribute to the strategic direction of WRF as part of the Senior Management Team and as director of Research Services and Subscribers Services. “We are excited that John has accepted the role of C..

Hawaii County Works on Plans for Major Wastewater Project

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) – Hawaii County officials are trying to move forward with plans for a proposed wastewater project that could be one of the most expensive the county has ever undertaken. The $100 million upgrade to the Kealakehe sewer plant would allow treated wastewater to irrigate crops i..

Alaska Town Races to Fix Sewage Plant Before Pipes Freeze

EMMONAK, Alaska (AP) – The city of Emmonak in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is racing to repair its sewage treatment plant before pipes freeze for winter, leaving the city without running water. A fire on Monday started at the plant when the city’s vacuum pump overheated and burned through its me..

Waste Processing Facility Guilty of Releasing Chemicals into Sewer System

DETROIT (AP) — Great Lakes Water Authority records show a hazardous waste processing facility in Detroit has released excessive amounts of mercury, arsenic, cyanide and other toxic chemicals into the city sewer system over 150 times since September 2010. Waste management service US Ecology is allow..

Carylon Purchases Pipeline Asset Management And Investigative Technologies

Carylon Corporation, a North American comprehensive environmental maintenance service provider, has purchased several state-of-the-art pipeline asset management and investigative technologies from JD7 that allow Carylon to inspect and conduct condition assessments in live pressure water mains across..

Blasting Underway as Part of Akron’s $1B Sewer Project

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Officials say contractors started conducting controlled blasts underground in downtown Akron last week as part of work on the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel. The Akron Beacon Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2gfzoeZ ) the giant underground tunnel is a major component of the northeas..