Utility Infrastructure
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..
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 ..
- 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