Utility Infrastructure
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.
Florida Utility Warns Customers to 'Think before They Flush' in Spoof Horror Movie Trailer
In an effort to educate its customers about a widespread and costly issue lurking beneath city streets, Florida utility company JEA created a mock horror movie trailer warning customers that “what goes down, might just come back up.”
22nd Annual Municipal Sewer/Water Infrastructure Survey
Underground Construction's exclusive annual survey revealed stronger budgets for many cities and growing expectations for a prolonged, stronger economy – but municipal personnel remain cautious.
Revamped CGA DIRT Report Estimates Increased Damage to Buried Utilities
Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-driven organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, recently announced its findings and analysis of utility damage and near-miss events in the 2017 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT..
Aqua America to Acquire Peoples
Aqua America Inc., a regulated water and wastewater utility, will acquire Peoples in an all-cash transaction reflecting an enterprise value of $4.275 billion that includes the assumption of approximately $1.3 billion of debt. The transaction brings together two companies with more than 130 years of..
Return to Google Land? Public Demands Broadband Alternatives
Remember back in 2010 when Google announced its entry into the broadband network market? To much fanfare, Google Fiber was born with Kansas City serving as its first major construction project. Google’s promise to deliver true high-speed internet services (as much as a gigabyte) captured the interes..
LAN to Design Major East Texas Utility Project
The City of Tyler, Texas, selected civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) to design improvements to two of its major sanitary sewer basins. The East Texas city’s wastewater collection system includes more than 690 miles of sewer mains ranging in sizes from 6-inches to 54-inch..
Nearly 36 Miles of Pipeline Replaced after Mass. Gas Explosions
BOSTON — The utility company involved in last month’s explosions and fires in Massachusetts said it has replaced nearly 36 miles of main pipeline in the area. NiSource subsidiary Columbia Gas said it’s 80% through work replacing 45 miles of main pipeline, and about halfway through its work replacin..
Aqua America to Acquire Peoples in Merger of Water, Gas Utilities
Water and wastewater utility Aqua America said it agreed to acquire natural gas utility operator Peoples in a $4.2 billion deal to create a company that is “uniquely positioned to have a powerful impact on improving the nation’s infrastructure reliability.” The combined company would have $10.8 bil..
Utility & Communications Construction Update
The Utility & Communications Construction (UCC) Index underwent another update as the Granite acquisition of Layne Christensen was approved during the past quarter. Per the three-year (Figure 1), one-year period (Figure 2) and year-to-date (Figure 3) Index, the market is viewing the growth prospects..
Regulator Reconsiders Pipelines Class Location Method
by Stephen Barlas | Washington Editor Federal regulators are taking another look at the pipeline industry’s request to essentially eliminate the class location method for assessing the need for pipe replacement and change it by expanding integrity rules beyond high consequence areas (HCA). The Pipe..
Virginia Tech SWIM Center Offers Water Infrastructure Certificate, Conference
The Virginia Tech Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management (SWIM) Center is offering the Digital One Water Smart Utility Water conference, Dec. 5-6, at its Research Center in Arlington, Va. Addressing one of the most pressing societal needs over the next several decades, the conference will focu..
The RehabZone Brings Together Yesterday and Today
The RehabZone™, exclusive to UCT, offers attendees a “hands-on” look at the history and best of today’s trenchless technologies for the rehabilitation of aging infrastructure. The exhibit-within-an-exhibit is where you can see the methods used in North America over the last 200-plus years. Then, ex..
First Infrastructure Proposal Surfaces in Congress
While the Trump administration has punted on preparing an infrastructure development proposal, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has not. Shuster produced a discussion draft of potential legislation on July 23. The discussion draft include..
Akktoberfest to Honor Akkerman’s 45th Anniversary
Marking 45 years of guided boring, microtunneling, pipe jacking and tunneling equipment and solutions for installing a variety of underground infrastructure, Akkerman is hosting Akktoberfest, Sept. 18-20, at its Brownsdale, Minn, headquarters. In the tradition of Oktoberfest, the largest folk festi..
HDD Projects Help Connect Colorado Water Systems
In Colorado, the cities of Denver, Aurora and 10 South Metro water providers have formed a partnership that provides communities the opportunity to purchase, transport and treat available renewable water. Water Infrastructure and Supply Efficiency (WISE) is one of the first organizations of its kin..
Pretty Means Nothing When Infrastructure is Crumbling Underneath
by Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief Brown or blackish water comes out of the sink, toilets back up, the television is nothing but snow, internet is down or there’s no signal for cell phones (millennials shudder at the thought). This dark vision is actually happening in one U.S. city and unfortunat..
Water Infrastructure Improvements Forecasted at $683 Billion by 2027
Capital expenditures (CAPEX) for U.S. municipal water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure will exceed $683 billion over the next decade, according to new forecasts from Bluefield Research. Improvement plans demonstrate a wide range of capital needs, but distribution and collection networks fo..
Southern Company to Sell Florida Assets to NextEra Energy
Southern Company has entered into agreements to sell Gulf Power Company, Florida City Gas and the entities holding Southern Power’s interests in Plant Oleander and Plant Stanton to NextEra Energy for approximately $6.475 billion. “This sale provides Southern Company the opportunity to d..
NineStar Connect to Acquire Gem Water Utility, Expand Fiber Service
NineStar Connect, a smart utility providing water, sewer, electric and high speed fiber services, has entered into an agreement with the town of Cumberland to acquire Gem Water Utility, which the town has owned since 2010. Gem Water serves approximately 500 water customers in a territory that lies b..
Regulators Order Changes at North Mississippi Water Utility
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi utility regulators are ordering changes in a rural water association. The move came after residents complained about water quality and other issues with Lafayette County’s 850-customer Punkin Water Association. The Oxford Eagle reports Northern District Commissione..
NW Natural to Acquire Two Water Utilities in Washington State
NW Natural Water, a subsidiary of NW Natural, has entered into agreements to acquire Lehman Enterprises and Sea View Water. The assets and operations of Lehman and Sea View, which are both based out of Whidbey Island near Seattle, Wash., will be combined under a newly-formed subsidiary of NW Natura..
WSSC Awards Contract to Transform Sewage into Renewable Energy
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) has approved the first phase of a $250 million project that will turn poop to power by transforming sewage into renewable energy. The $44 million contract awarded to PC Construction Company will allow WSSC to begin design and early construction of ..
Washington Port, Utility District Form Broadband Company
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) – The Port of Skagit and the Skagit Public Utility District have approved an agreement to jointly oversee the construction of a fiber optic network that extends from Anacortes to Concrete. The Skagit Valley Herald reports the port and utility district approved the agreement..
- OSHA investigation launched after worker found unconscious in Kansas City, Mo., sewer pipe
- Emergency rehabilitation brings back Baltimore’s Back River outfall interceptor
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Fatal Shawnee trench collapse linked to Oklahoma contractor’s repeated safety violations, OSHA reports
- OSHA cites contractor for fatal trench collapse in New Canaan, Conn.
- CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
- Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
- Construction worker dies after being found unconscious in trench box
- Tennessee pipeline gets initial FERC approval despite environmental concerns
- Florence, S.C., to fund $537 million sewer, water upgrade with bonds and 5% rate hike