Utility Infrastructure
Fears of Sewer Pipe Collapse Close 3 Blocks of Major Street
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Fears of a cave-in courtesy a possible sewer pipe collapse have closed part of a major downtown Louisville street. Metropolitan Sewer District spokeswoman Sheryl Lauder told the Courier Journal that officials sent probes into the 60-year-old, 84-inch (213-centimeter) di..
$25 Million Awarded to Train and Assist Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $25 million in grants to help the country’s small drinking and wastewater systems and private well owners better protect public health and the environment. Those receiving grants include: National Rural Water Association ..
California Water Pipeline Repairs Scheduled, Residents Urged to Reduce Usage
Officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), Three Valleys Municipal Water District and local retail agencies are urging nearly 1 million consumers in Southern California’s Inland Valley to reduce water use as Metropolitan prepares..
Illinois American Water Acquires City of Farmington Water System
Illinois American Water has acquired the City of Farmington’s water system, adding approximately 1,125 new customers to the company’s customer base in the Peoria District. The Farmington City Council voted in favor of the sale in March 2017 and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved the sa..
West Texas Oil, Gas Growth Means More Electricity Needed
HOUSTON (AP) — In West Texas, an oil and gas drilling rush has overwhelmed local roadways, housing supplies and a limited pipeline network. Now, the shale boom is straining the region’s electric grid, which was designed to handle a fraction of the power needed by the oil and gas producers that domin..
New Jersey Governor Names Former Democratic State Senator to Utility Board
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says he’s naming a recently retired Democratic state senator to the board that oversees the state’s utilities. Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement Thursday that he is nominating Bob Gordon to serve as a commissioner on the Board of Public Utiliti..
Vermont Regulators Order Review of Gas Pipeline
COLCHESTER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont utility regulators are asking for an investigation into the construction of a 41-mile natural gas pipeline. In an order issued on Wednesday, the Public Utilities Commission noted that Vermont Gas Systems has already agreed to an outside review of its construction prac..
Aqua America Promotes Two Engineers to Vice President Posts
Aqua America (Aqua) today announced two directors from regulated operations have been promoted to vice president roles. Jim Barbato has been named vice president of corporate engineering and Joe Thurwanger has been appointed Aqua Pennsylvania’s vice president of planning and engineering. These promo..
Virginia Regulators Raise Constitutional Questions About New Utility Law
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – State regulators are questioning whether a new electric utility overhaul recently approved by lawmakers may be unconstitutional. The State Corporation Commission issued a ruling Monday raising the possibility that a new utility-backed law may unfairly disadvantage out-of-state ..
Report: California’s Regulated Water Utilities Invested More than $645 Million on Infrastructure in 2017
According to an analysis by the California Water Association (CWA), the state’s largest regulated water utilities invested more than $645 million in 2017 into improving and upgrading the infrastructure that delivers water to the communities they serve. CWA represents 100 water utilities regulated b..
Virginia American Water Lifts Boil Water Advisory
Virginia American Water today announced it has lifted the boil-water advisory that was issued as a precautionary measure for customers in its Hopewell district, which includes the City of Hopewell, as well as the subdivisions of New Birchett Estates, Cedar Creek, Cedar Creek West, Strattford Woods a..
Illinois American Water Acquires Village of Fisher Water and Wastewater Systems
Illinois American Water today announced it has acquired the Village of Fisher’s water and wastewater systems. As part of the acquisition, Illinois American Water will invest $2.9 million in the first five years of ownership including security upgrades, meter replacements, wastewater plant improvemen..
New Administrator Chosen for Louisiana Utility Commission
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s state utility regulatory agency has a new top administrator, chosen from within the agency’s ranks. The Louisiana Public Service Commission chose Brandon Frey to be its executive secretary, a position that oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency. Frey h..
Georgia Public Service Commission OK's Dominion Energy, SCANA Merger
The Georgia Public Service Commission has unanimously approved the merger of Dominion Energy, Inc. and SCANA Corporation, becoming the first state regulatory agency to act on the proposed merger. “We greatly appreciate the prompt action by Chairman McDonald and the other commissioners i..
Indiana House Member Picked for State Utility Commission
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana House utility committee chairman will be leaving the Legislature for a seat on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission that oversees most of the state’s electricity and natural gas companies. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb picked GOP Rep. David Ober of Albion as his ..
ACSI: Customer Satisfaction with Utilities Inches Up in Competitive Energy Landscape
According to ACSI’s 2018 Utilities Report, despite rapid advances in the energy industry throughout 2017, customer satisfaction with gas and electric providers inched up only 0.4 percent to a score of 75.2 (on a 100-point scale). The ACSI results include cooperative, investor-owned, and..
Infrastructure Investment - a New Buzzword
by Robert Carpenter Editor-in-Chief buzz·word – a word or phrase, often an item of jargon, that is fashionable at a particular time or in a particular context. From year to year, decade to decade, new buzzwords develop unexpectedly, unpredictably and inexplicably. While I certainly have – and will..
Assessing Uncertainties in Geotechnical Baselines Reports
Editor’s Note: This is part three of an exclusive four-part series outlining the risks of modern underground utility infrastructure construction and rehabilitation work. In Part 1, the concept of underground uncertainties in infrastructure work was introduced. In Part 2, we looked specifically at ..
American Water Partners with EPA to Promote Fix a Leak Week
American Water and its subsidiaries today announced a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 19-25. The national campaign, part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, helps to raise awareness about small leaks and what homeowners c..
Kentucky Regulators OK Hike for Troubled Water District
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — An emergency rate increase for a Kentucky water district that is on the brink of collapse has been approved by state regulators. The Kentucky Public Service Commission on Friday granted Martin County Water an annual revenue increase of about 26.5 percent. The commission said t..
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Files to Recover Investment in Replacing and Upgrading Aging Infrastructure
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc., a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., filed a request today with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to adjust its base rates for distribution service so it can continue to upgrade and replace the company’s underground natural gas distribution pipelines...
Hydro One and Avista Reach Settlement in Principle in Washington Merger Case
Hydro One Limited and Avista Corporation today announced they have filed a Notification of a settlement with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), with a settlement agreement between all parties involved to be filed no later than March 27, 2018. The settlement in principle..
Required Training for Water District Boards Revamped in Kentucky
The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) today announced newly appointed water district commissioners now will be required to receive training in key areas only through courses offered directly by the commission. According to the PSC, more consistent and rigorous training for new commissioners ..
SJW Group, Connecticut Water Service to Combine In All-Stock Transaction
SJW Group and Connecticut Water Service, Inc. today announced that both companies’ boards of directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger to create the third largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in the United States, based on pro-forma e..
IoT Technology to Help Canadian City Improve Water Leak Detection
Echologics, a Mueller Technologies company, today announced it will deliver an Internet of Things (IoT) Smart City solution over Bell’s broadband wireless network for the City of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The solution will wirelessly monitor the city’s water pipeline network to help reduce water loss a..
New York Launches Investigation Into Utility Storm Restoration Efforts
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the state’s Department of Public Service (DPS) has formally notified the chief executives of the state’s major electric utility companies that an investigation into preparedness of and response to two early March Nor’easters is now underway. The..
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Names Williams to Board
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) has appointed Harold Williams to serve on the district’s board of directors. Williams joins Gloria Gray representing the West Basin Municipal Water District on the 38-member Metropolitan board. He succeeds Donald Dear, who served..
Retired Con Edison President Elected to Ameren's Board
Ameren Corporation today announced that Craig S. Ivey, retired president of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Edison), has been elected to the Ameren board of directors, effective March 9, 2018. Ivey served as president of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. f..
$87-Million Grants for NY State Water Quality Improvement Projects Awarded
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) made $87 million in Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grants available across the state through Round VII of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) awards. The funds will be used on 95 projects to improve and protect wat..
Great Lakes Cities Work to Reduce Water Utility Emissions
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Several communities around the Great Lakes are competing to reduce pollution by controlling the electricity they consume from the power grid. Bayfield, Wisconsin, is one of five cities working to lower mercury and other emissions through the Water Utility Energy Challenge, Wisc..
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Construction worker killed in trench collapse near Prosperity, S.C.
- Final construction phase kicks off for Indianapolis deep rock tunnel
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes