Utility Infrastructure

Del Puerto Water District Wins ACWA's 2018 Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award for Excellence

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) has awarded the 2018 Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award for Excellence to the Del Puerto Water District for its North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program. The program is an innovative solution to water supply and reliability issues in the San Joa..

Carmichael Water District General Manager Receives ACWA Leadership Award

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) has recognized Carmichael Water District General Manager Steve Nugent with its 2018 Excellence in Water Leadership Award – Building a World of Difference for his leadership and commitment to collaborative regional integrated water management throug..

California Water District Approves up To $650M for Tunnels

(AP) — A Northern California water agency voted Tuesday to support Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to build two massive tunnels to remake the state’s water system. The Santa Clara Valley Water District board voted 4-3 Tuesday to support the $17 billion project and to commit up to $650 million to help pay f..

West Virginia City OK's Higher Sewer Rates

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — An increase in sewer rates has been approved by a West Virginia city council. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports sewer rates are expected to rise 16 percent in Dunbar after the City Council approved raising them during a meeting Monday. Mayor Bill Cunningham say..

NRTC Names Bartolomei President, Utility Solutions

The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) has named Greg Bartolomei President, Utility Solutions, effective May 14. Bartolomei will lead NRTC’s portfolio of smart grid solutions, which includes metering and metering networks, analytics, demand management, smart energy (including sola..

Juneau Utility Officials Recommend Sewer, Water Rate Increases

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Juneau utility officials are recommending additional water and sewer rate increases as the next incremental rate rise takes effect this summer. KTOO Public Media reports Juneau’s Utility Advisory Board recommended raising sewer rates by an additional 2.5 percent annually for t..

Key California Water District Delays Vote on Tunnel System

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Pennsylvania American Water to Acquire Sadsbury Township’s Wastewater System

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water has signed an agreement to acquire the wastewater assets of Sadsbury Township in Chester County. The total value of the transaction is approximately $9.25 million. The Sadsbury wastewater system serves approximately 1,000 customers. “Our c..

Arizona Utility Tries to End Multi-State Colorado River Feud

DENVER (AP) — Arizona’s largest water provider tried Tuesday to defuse a multi-state dispute over the Colorado River, saying it regretted the belligerent-sounding words it used to describe its management strategy for the critical, over-used waterway. The Central Arizona Project, which provides wate..

ACWA Spring Conference to Highlight Improving California’s Water Supply

Leaders, experts and elected officials from throughout California’s water community will gather in Sacramento May 8-11 for the Association of California Water Agencies’ (ACWA) 2018 Spring Conference & Exhibition. Themed “CA Water: Building for the Future,” the first of two biannual ACWA conferences..

KentuckyWired Partners with Utility to Expedite Broadband Project

The Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) and Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU) have reached an agreement to lease a portion of OMU’s broadband network to KentuckyWired, a broadband project that includes the construction of more than 3,000 miles of fiber optic cable across all 120 Kentu..

West Virginia American Water Seeks Rate Increase to Cover Infrastructure Upgrades

West Virginia American Water filed an application with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) to adjust its rates for water and wastewater service. The company is seeking a base water rate increase to produce additional revenues of $32.69 million per year, and an increase in wastewater..

Crews Finish Sealing Damaged Great Lakes Electric Cables

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) — Officials say crews have finished capping and sealing two electric cables that were severed by a suspected boat anchor strike in the waterway that connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. A team of investigators led by the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday the cables owned by A..

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Celebrates 100 Years of Service

In celebration of its 100th year of service, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is hosting a regional symposium, A Century of Innovation, tomorrow, May 1, at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. The symposium brings together wa..

Aqua America Announces Leadership Changes

Aqua America announced EVP and CFO David P. Smeltzer will retire from his position in October after a 32-year career with the company. As part of the company’s succession plan, Daniel Schuller, who is currently serving as EVP, strategy and corporate development, will succeed Smeltzer as CFO and has ..

Water Utility Exec: Uncertain Mix of Chemicals from Consumer Taps

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A public water utility studied what it was serving to its 200,000 North Carolina customers and found it contained multiple unregulated industrial chemicals with uncertain health effects, including some substances that university researchers didn’t know existed, legislators lea..

Utility Says Retired Underwater Electric Cables May be Damaged

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) — A suspected anchor strike that severed two electric cables in the waterway linking Lakes Huron and Michigan may have damaged additional cables in the area that were taken out of service long ago but never removed from the water, officials said Thursday. A remotely operat..

Global Water Resources to Acquire Turner Ranches Water and Sanitation Company

Global Water Resources, Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Turner Ranches Water and Sanitation Company, a non-potable irrigation water utility in Mesa, Ariz. Through the acquisition, Global Water Resources will add 960 residential irrigation customers and approximately seven square m..

Xylem to Host Water Infrastructure Workshop

On May 17, Xylem is bringing together water industry leaders and utility operators to discuss Modernizing Water Infrastructure. During the workshop, experts on water, sustainable water management and infrastructure will share insights, best practices, and innovative approaches on optimizing water di..

Colorado Utility Provider Exits Transmission Partnership

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado utility has announced it is leaving an informal transmission partnership between electricity service providers. Xcel Energy’s Executive Vice President David Eves said in a statement issued Friday that the being a part of the Mountain West Transmission Group was no longer in..

Utility Worker Fatally Shot at Job Site in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police are investigating the shooting death of a utility worker at a job site. Police say 23-year-old Johnathon Porter, of Appleton City, was shot Monday morning. He was working at the construction site for InfraSource, a contractor for Spire Energy. T..

American Water Makes Leadership Changes

American Water has named Deborah Degillio senior vice president of its Eastern Division and president of New Jersey American Water, effective May 1, 2018. Degillio replaces Robert MacLean, who was named president of American Water Enterprises, encompassing the company’s market-based businesses. “I ..

Study: Houston Utility Districts Resilient During Hurricane Harvey

The Association of Water Board Directors – Texas, a statewide educational and advocacy group for utility districts, has released the results of an extensive study of the effects of Hurricane Harvey on more than 960 Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) in the Houston area. According to the..

Washington Regulators Host Hearing on Avista, Hydro One Merger

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Customers of Avista Corp. told the state Utilities and Transportation Commission they’re happy with their local electric and natural gas utility and see little benefit from its sale to a Canadian corporation. About 80 people attended a public hearing in Spokane Monday on..

Indiana Utility Reaches Deal for 15 Percent Gas Rate Increase

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (AP) — The natural gas utility company for most of northern Indiana could increase its rates by about 15 percent under a deal it has reached with the state consumer advocate’s office. The proposed increase for Merrillville-based Northern Indiana Public Service Co. would be smalle..

Water Limited During Southern California Pipeline Repairs

CLAREMONT, Calif. (AP) — Residents of several Southern California communities are being asked to limit water use this week while a major pipeline is closed for repairs. Starting Monday, the state Department of Water Resources will be fixing a portion of the Rialto Pipeline, which serves cities in p..

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..