Utility Infrastructure
Brown and Caldwell, Carollo Engineers Joint Venture Selected for South County Ag Program
The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) has selected a joint venture of Brown and Caldwell and Carollo Engineers as project managers for $375 million recycled water infrastructure program.
USDA Invests $281 Million in Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing more than $280 million to help rural communities improve their water and wastewater infrastructure.
Eight Texas Cities Partner for New Water Line
Eight cities in the Houston area are partnering together to replace a 75 million gallon water line.
DC Water’s Tunnel Boring Machine Reaches Key Project Milestone
DC Water’s giant tunnel boring machine, named Chris, broke through a wall of concrete to reach the W Street shaft, a key milestone in the mining of the Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) project.
Utility & Communications Construction Update
The spread of the coronavirus has upended almost every staple of U.S. life, and businesses have no sense of what the next two weeks, much less the next two months, could look like. With these themes as the backdrop, there are some takeaways we can share for planning the next six months, as we consider both oil and the spread of the coronavirus.
Electro Scan Completes Trial Project for new Pipeline Inspection Technology
Electro Scan announced that it has completed a trial project of its new pipeline inspection technology with Sydney Water, Australia’s largest water utility.
Peru Gas Workers Unearth Centuries of History in Lima's Soil
For nearly two decades, workers for a company building gas lines across Peru’s capital have found themselves unearthing a treasure trove of history.
Ameren Illinois Plans Natural Gas Pipeline Upgrades
Ameren Illinois said it will replace 12 miles of aging natural gas pipeline in two Illinois locations for a combined cost of $64 million as part of its planned system upgrades around the state.
Two Cities Add HDPE for Reliable Water Infrastructure
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. This is a dependable indicator in psychology, but two cities in Minnesota found this to be especially true when applied to pipe performance.
2020 Outlook and Utility & Communications Construction Update
The United States construction market is steady and growing slightly amidst the second-longest period of sustained economic expansion since 1964. Despite fears of an impending slowdown, FMI Research projects that construction put-in-place will increase year-over-year by slightly less than 1 percent in 2019 (down from 3 percent in 2018).
$234 Billion CAPEX Expected over Next 10 Years for Water/Wastewater Infrastructure
More than $234 billion of capital expenditures (CAPEX) are forecasted over the next decade to address aging municipal water and wastewater pipe network infrastructure. Precipitated by decades of underinvestment, municipal utilities are under increasing pressure to address deteriorating linear assets at a faster pace.
Ohio Power Siting Board Approves Natural Gas Pipeline Route
The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has approved a route for Duke Energy’s Central Corridor natural gas pipeline following a review of the company’s application and hearings on the 14-mile project.
New Jersey Capital City Spending $150 Million to Replace Lead Pipes
All 37,000 of the lead water pipes in New Jersey’s capital city will be replaced over the next five years at an estimated cost of $150 million, Trenton officials said Thursday.
Jesse Jackson Joins Push for Natural Gas Pipeline to Illinois Town
Not all pipeline activists are fighting against more construction. Rev. Jesse Jackson has joined local leaders in calling for extension of natural gas service to a low-income township south of Chicago.
Ohio Power Siting Board Approves Natural Gas Pipeline Route
The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has approved a route for Duke Energy’s Central Corridor natural gas pipeline.
USDA to Invest Over $630 Million in Water Improvement for Rural Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing over $630 million in water infrastructure improvements for rural communities across 42 states.
Perma-Liner Rolls Out Road Shows, New Product for Tackling Infrastructure Rehab
With aging infrastructure and broken sewer lines being common themes that more and more communities are experiencing, Perma-Liner Industries LLC hosted events to share innovative, trenchless technology, and state-of-the-art equipment and materials to tackle these issues in the least disruptive manner.
Stricter EPA Lead Rule Could Boost Water Pipe Replacement Demand
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed updates to its lead rule for drinking water that could add demand for pipeline replacement projects throughout the United States.
Sure Shot Holdings Acquires Four Utility Service Companies
Sure Shot Holdings LLC, parent company of Sure Shot Drilling, acquired four Colorado-based utility service companies: DrillTech Directional Services, Pinnacle Development, BAS Rentals, and A to Z Cable Construction. DrillTech Directional Services Inc., now known as DrillTech LLC, is a market-leadin..
Michigan Offers Grants for Rural Industry, Infrastructure
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is offering grants supporting land-based industries and infrastructure that benefit rural communities.
Water Utilities Recognized For Forward-Thinking Initiatives
The Utility of the Future Today program announced it has recognized the efforts of 43 U.S. water utilities this year for their efforts to transform their operations through innovation and technology.
EPA Launches 60-day Comment Period for Clean Water Act Changes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued a proposed rule to implement Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) intended to streamline the approval process for permits that are often an obstacle for pipelines and other infrastructure projects.
Texas Implements New Pipeline Safety Regulations
Texas’ natural gas utilities need to be ready for two new state pipeline safety programs: filing incident reports within one-hour of an accident, and removing underground cast-iron pipe by Dec. 31, 2021, used for natural gas delivery to end-use customers.
Diversified Infrastructure Providers Reshaping Private Water Landscape
The U.S. municipal water landscape is undergoing a transformation, as critical infrastructure services – water, gas, and electricity – converge under single investor-owned utility banners. This trend is highlighted by the growing roster of diversified infrastructure service providers owning water and wastewater utilities in the U.S., according to a new report from Bluefield Research.
Maine Water Files Permit Applications for New Water Treatment Facility
Maine Water Company filed applications today with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for state and federal environmental permits in support of their plan to build a new water treatment facility on the Saco River in Biddeford.
PG&E Commits to Underground Power Lines as Part of Wildfire Rebuild
PG&E announced today that it will put all electric distribution power lines underground in the Town of Paradise and some of the surrounding areas as the town rebuilds from the Camp Fire.
House Explosion Kills 1, Injures 2 in Southern Indiana
Fire investigators have determined the explosion of a southern Indiana house that killed one person was caused by natural gas.
Trenching In Tennessee
Cleary Construction is involved in a major project to relocate and replace utility lines in Smyrna, Tenn. Moving the utilities is necessary due to a road widening project to improve traffic flow in this growing community located about 20 miles southeast of Nashville.
Sewer Construction Grants Targeted for Big but Speculative Increase
There seems to be a good chance that Congress will pass a reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), given strong bi-partisan support for the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019 (H.R. 1497).
Fort Wayne Announces $100 Million in Utility Infrastructure Investments
City officials in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Monday announced plans to invest $100 million in city neighborhoods for stormwater protection, sanitary sewer improvements, and water pipe upgrades.
- 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