Telecom/Electric

SPIDER Manhole Inspection Scanner Provides New Perspective

CUES, a leading manufacturer of closed-circuit television pipeline inspection equipment, has introduced an innovative new wireless manhole scanning technology called the SPIDER scanner. The SPIDER scanner is the only truly wireless, color, manhole inspection technology in such a lightweight and com..

Armtec to Invest Millions in Large Diameter HDPE Pipe

Armtec is investing millions of dollars in equipment to manufacture large diameter high density polyethylene storm sewer pipe for the public and private infrastructure markets across Canada. The equipment will produce flexible pipe with bell and gasket joints, and will be certified to the appropriat..

Questions About The Future Of Wind And Solar Energy Industry

By Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief There was a vast array of blinking, red lights against a sea of darkness. The night skies of north central Oklahoma were filled with these lights, and additional fields of blinking yellow lights extended into other areas across the plains of Oklahoma. The eerie ..

Infrastructure Repair Systems Patented Trenchless Point Repair Systems

Infrastructure Repair Systems Inc.’s patented trenchless Point Repair Systems come with liners of different weights and customized lengths. Four liner weight options exceed ASTM 1216 standards and have pre-measured epoxy formulated for summer or winter environments: Super Liner has multiple layers ..

Xylem Announces Godwin Field Smart Technology

Xylem’s Godwin Field Smart Technology (FST) and Godwin PrimeGuard 2 controller provide contractors with crucial pump operating data from a remote location that can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for expensive, onsite personnel to monitor pumps manually. Xylem’s Godwin PrimeGuard 2 is a ..

ARCOS Unveils Technology to Help Utilities Track Crews in Real Time

At the 14th annual ARCOS Conference, ARCOS® LLC announced it is adding Location Services technology to its Software-as-a-Service solutions to map the real-time location of utility crews. With Location Services, utility managers can continuously track users of the ARCOS Mobile app and store their loc..

South Carolina Utility to Begin Water Main Rehab Next Week

Charleston Water System will begin the second phase of waterline rehabilitation projects in Downtown Charleston next week. The $2.4 million project involves using trenchless technology to rehabilitate approximately 2.5 miles of water mains.  While the mains are still structurally sound, mineral acc..

Maine Utility Regulators to Consider $1.5B FairPoint Sale

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine utility regulators are ready to delve into details of the proposed $1.5 billion sale of FairPoint Communications, the country’s eighth-largest phone and internet company. Consolidated Communications, based in Illinois, announced in December it was buying FairPoint, assum..

Contract for Water Pipeline Condition Assessment Extended

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has extended its contract with Echologics for pipeline condition assessment services for an additional one-year term. This is the second extension of the contract between WSSC and Echologics. Echologics, a Mueller Technologies company, has assessed more t..

Fiber Installation in Charlotte Causes $700,000 in Damage

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Officials in Charlotte have sent nearly $700,000 in repair bills to crews installing new broadband network lines across the city for AT&T and Google Fiber. The contractors are digging up areas across Charlotte to install the lines needed for the new service that promises inte..

Survey Shows Utilities' Cybersecurity Not Keeping Up with Technology

An overwhelming majority (89%) of power and utility executives say their cybersecurity function does not fully meet their organization’s needs, according to the EY Global Information Security Survey 2016-17. That number continues to rise compared with last year (86% in 2015) as companies struggle t..

Company Helps Cities Fight Sewer Problems

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — As the city faced a 100-year torrential rainfall last August, technology inside the combined storm sewers did its job of minimizing the amount of raw sewage that flowed into the river. The work of EmNet, a company formed in South Bend under a partnership with the city, the U..

Melfred Borzall FastBack System For Direct Pullbacks

Melfred Borzall’s FastBack is a new system for direct pullbacks without removing the drill head or installing a backreamer.  FastBack is a complete system and ideal for fiber installation, where access and space is often a concern. It enables the driller to do several bores a day and allows for mult..

Utility Recognizes Innovative Employees

Through its annual Innovation Awards program, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation recently recognized 68 employees who implemented 41 improvement projects in 2016 that provided tangible benefits for Central Hudson and its customers. “Innovation is a core value at Central Hudson, and one our e..

Prime Horizontal Launches New MudVis Technology

Prime Horizontal has launched MudVis, an automated mud viscosity and specific gravity measuring and logging system. MudVis samples your stock or mixing tank bentonite at regular preset intervals. The viscosity and specific gravity values are logged in the processing unit and available (real time) f..

Companies Announce Pipeline Construction to Provide Carbon-Neutral Renewable Natural Gas

Southern California Gas Co. and waste management company CR&R Environmental have broke ground on construction of an eight-inch pipeline that will bring carbon-neutral renewable natural gas into the Southern California Gas distribution system for the first time. The connecting pipeline, funded by CR..

Sentient Energy Expands Intelligent Analytics to Entire Distribution Grid

Sentient Energy, Inc. today announced its new Sentient ZM1™ zero amperage grid monitor for deployment on cellular and mesh networks. The Sentient ZM1 is the world’s first advanced line monitor that can be deployed on distribution lines even where no or very-low amperage is available to power monito..

Utility Builds Smarter Sewer System

The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) is building a smarter sewer system that will help reduce sewer overflows into creeks and rivers. “Our smart sewer system is anticipated to save tens of millions of dollars in capital investments in projects to control sewer overflows,” sai..

Fiber, Sewer and Water Part of $1 Trillion Infrastructure Proposal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats on Tuesday will propose spending $1 trillion on transportation and other infrastructure projects over 10 years in an attempt to engage President Donald Trump on an issue where they hope to find common ground. Details of the plan provided to The Associated Press in..

ADS Unveils New Stormwater Pipe Technology

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., has revealed its latest breakthrough in stormwater pipe technology, HPXR™ 75. This new technology provides heightened levels of stiffness, is available in a range of sizes, and yields significant cost benefits for customers compared to alternative products. “The HPX..

McElroy Partners with Netafim to Grow HDPE Equipment Business

McElroy and Netafim have joined forces to meet the demand for HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipeline solutions serving the irrigation industry and the growing opportunities in potable water and natural gas. “We are excited about the many benefits McElroy machines will bring to our growing operat..

John Deere and AGTEK Collaboration Increases Customer Support

As contractors increasingly use 3D digital models and GPS technology when grading a job site, John Deere is joining forces with AGTEK − a leading provider of takeoff and 3D modeling software for the civil construction industry − to increase efficiency and ease the takeoff and modeling process across..

Water Technology Program Names Inaugural Class

Pipeline H2O, a new water technology commercialization program managed by The Hamilton Mill, has announced its first class of companies. Supported by a coalition of regional cities, utilities, universities, and startup organizations throughout the Greater Cincinnati region, Pipeline H2O’s goal is to..

SoCalGas to Use Fiber Optic Technology to Monitor Pipelines in Real Time

Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) will be one of the first natural gas utilities in the United States to incorporate innovative fiber-optic cable technology to detect impacts and leaks along its transmission and high-pressure pipeline system. The technology uses fiber-optic strands to tran..

Houston To Build Massive Northeast Transmission Waterline

The city of Houston is building the 16.5-mile Northeast Transmission Waterline as part of its Surface Water Transmission Program (SWTP) to meet the region’s projected 2040 water demand. Ultimately, the waterline will provide up to 96 million gallons per day (MGD) to the city and 269 MGD to local wat..

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..

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..

Altice USA Unveils Full-Scale Fiber-to-the-Home Network Investment Plan

Altice USA, a subsidiary of Altice N.V., a leading global telecommunications, media and entertainment company, plans to invest further in the U.S. by building a next-generation fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps across its footprint. Altice USA will ext..

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..