Utility Infrastructure
CenterPoint, Vectren to Merge
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and Vectren Corporation have entered into a definitive merger agreement to form a leading energy delivery, infrastructure, and services company serving more than 7 million customers across the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unani..
Workers Admit Taking Bribes to Lower Water, Sewer Bills
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Two municipal water department workers have admitted taking bribes in return for reducing the water and sewer bills of numerous customers. Joseph DeBonis and William Ortiz both pleaded guilty Friday to official misconduct. Both had been suspended from their jobs with the ..
New York Sending More Utility Workers to Puerto Rico Power Restoration Efforts
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s governor is heading back to Puerto Rico with more help as the island continues to recover from last year’s catastrophic hurricane. Democrat Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that the state is sending another team of utility experts to assist with repairs to Puerto Rico’..
Feud Erupts Between Utility, States over Colorado River
DENVER (AP) — Tension over the drought-stressed Colorado River escalated into a public feud when four U.S. states accused Arizona’s largest water provider of manipulating supply and demand, potentially threatening millions of people in the United States and Mexico who rely on the river. The four st..
Former Water Superintendent Charged with Taking $300K
ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former water department superintendent in Tennessee has been charged with using the position to steal more than $300,000 from the department. A Hawkins County grand jury this week indicted 49-year-old Shawn Hatchett, who is the former superintendent of the Rogersvi..
DC Water’s New Anacostia River Tunnel Passes First Major Test
Earlier this week, as heavy rains battered the District of Columbia, DC Water’s newly opened Anacostia River Tunnel System prevented approximately 170 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater from being discharged to the Anacostia River. DC Water placed into operation t..
New York City Celebrates National Work Zone Awareness Week
New York City recently held a ceremony recognizing the importance of keeping public works and utility employees safe in honor of National Work Zone Awareness week, April 9–13. The event took place along the Grand Central Parkway in Corona, Queens. “The men and women of DEP who build and maintain t..
Rennie to Chair EPCOR's Board
Janice G. Rennie, FCA, F.ICD, has been appointed Board Chair of EPCOR Utilities Inc,, effective May 2, 2018. She succeeds Hugh J. Bolton, who is retiring after nearly two decades of leading the company through a significant period of growth. Rennie initially served as a member of the EPCOR Board fr..
Chair of Oregon Utility Commission Quits in Middle of Term
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The chairwoman of the Oregon Public Utility Commission has resigned less than two years after she was appointed. Lisa Hardie did not provide a reason why in a statement Friday, but said it was an honor to serve in the post. Her four-year term was scheduled to end May 31,..
Duke Energy Moves Ahead with Ohio Gas Pipeline Application
Duke Energy Ohio is moving ahead with its application before the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) to build the proposed Central Corridor Pipeline, a 13 mile, 20-inch natural gas pipeline designed to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to customers in southwest Ohio. Once finished,..
Illinois American Water to Acquire Alton’s Regional Wastewater System
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire Alton’s regional wastewater system. Today’s agreement follows Wednesday night’s vote (7-1) by the Alton City Council in favor of Illinois American Water purchasing the regional wastewater syste..
Columbia Gas of Maryland Seeks Rate Increase for Pipeline Replacement Projects
Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc. (Columbia Gas), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., today filed a request with the Public Service Commission of Maryland (PSC) to adjust its base rates for distribution service so it can continue to replace aging pipeline and adopt pipeline safety upgrades. In total, t..
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 ..
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- 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