Water Inspection

Illinois American Water invests $76.7 million in 2023 for local water infrastructure upgrades

(UI) — In 2023, Illinois American Water will have invested $297 million in water and wastewater system infrastructure replacement and enhancements throughout the state. Locally, in the company’s Central Division, the capital investment in infrastructure has reached $76.7 million in 2023.

Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands

President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead-in-water contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this week after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than 100 times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency – among the worst results a U.S. community has seen in decades.

Mississippi’s capital city is considering a unique plan to slash water rates for poor people

The manager of the long-troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city proposed a slight rate increase for most residents Friday alongside what he said is a first-in-the-nation proposal to reduce water rates for low-income people who get government help with grocery bills.

Prosecutors: Supreme Court decision closes door on criminal prosecutions in Flint water scandal

The Michigan attorney general’s office said Tuesday that the state prosecution of former Gov. Rick Snyder and other officials for their roles in the Flint water scandal has ended.

Asset management: Working with Duke’s ‘like having a crystal ball’

(UI) — When optimizing sewer and wastewater treatment systems, it can be overwhelming to look at more than 100 miles of sewer pipe funneling heavy flow during a rain event and wonder where that excess flow is coming from.

Collaborative $200 million investment targets Oklahoma's water infrastructure

(UI) — Oklahoma tribes, state agencies, and various communities have come together, leveraging the resources provided by the American Rescue Plan to amass over $200 million to enhance the water infrastructure of the region's residents.

Wisc. governor allocates $402 million to combat PFAS, water infrastructure projects

The money will be available to 106 Wisconsin municipalities to help them build water infrastructure projects, replace lead service lines and address emerging contaminants such as PFAS.

Groundbreaking advances made with EPBM tunnel constructed below sea level

(UI) — Houston Public Works launched the Surface Water Transmission Program (SWTP) to comply with an HGSD mandate. The 66-inch, 50-year-old pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) is the primary source for the western part of the city, and its shutdown would impact the system's capacity.

Major water main break impacts thousands, prompts state of emergency in a northern New York county

A state of emergency was issued Thursday in a northern New York county, where the Fort Drum U.S. Army base is located, following a major water main break that has left tens of thousands without water.

What’s changed — and what hasn’t — a year after Mississippi capital’s water crisis?

It’s a stark contrast from a year ago, when Jackson’s 150,000 residents could never be sure what, if anything, would flow from their taps when they needed a drink, a shower or to flush the toilet. The majority-Black city also faced occasional warnings that their water could be contaminated and needed to be boiled, and people had to wait in line to get fresh water.

US military to begin draining leaky fuel tank facility that poisoned Pearl Harbor drinking water

The military next week plans to begin draining fuel from World War II-era underground fuel tanks in Hawaii, nearly two years after the massive facility sickened 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into a Pearl Harbor drinking water well.

Federal, local officials secure $450 million dredging deal to clean up Milwaukee waterways

Federal, state and local officials have agreed to spend about $450 million to dredge contaminated sediment from Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan harbor and area rivers.

Extended reprieve for New Orleans water systems as saltwater intrusion slows

Authorities said that saltwater inching up the Mississippi River is progressing more slowly than projected, meaning water systems in the greater New Orleans area that draw drinking water from the river have additional weeks to prepare.

HDD mud spills force authorities to halt wastewater pipeline construction in NY’s Genesee County

(UI) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stopped construction of a wastewater pipeline in New York's Genesee County due to multiple incidents of drilling fluid spills in a protected wetland.

Georgia’s Lowndes County and Moody Air Force Base to undergo water infrastructure upgrades

(UI) — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is delivering new upgrades to improve water infrastructure in Lowndes County and Moody Air Force Base.

Beaumont, Texas, unveils $123 million plan to overhaul water infrastructure

(UI) — This intricate plan, spanning five years, carries a substantial price tag of $123 million, with a significant portion, $43 million, allocated to the replacement and maintenance of water pipelines during this period.

Recent floods highlight climate risks to New England's aging infrastructure

The floods this week in Massachusetts that put a few dams at risk have raised concern the structures may increasingly be at risk as stronger and wetter storms hit the region.

Biden restores states' and tribes' authority over waterways, including gas pipelines

The rule, which takes effect in November, reverses a Trump-era action that limited the ability of states and tribes to review pipelines, dams and other federally regulated projects within their borders.

Advocates urge expanded public hearings about Baltimore’s water and sewer system

(UI) — The Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force announced that it would hold four in-person meetings throughout this fall before recommending a new governance model for the city’s water and wastewater system.

Communities unite to overcome decades of undrinkable water in West Texas

In rural West Texas, water problems underscore a broader issue: a 2016 report revealed 65 Texas systems with excessive arsenic, impacting 51,000 residents. Despite this, around 65 residents convened at a July meeting united in their aim to establish the South Plains Water Supply Corporation. Moreover, relief is on the horizon with $2.5 billion in federal funding allocated for water infrastructure.

127-year-old water main gives way under NYC’s Times Square, flooding streets, subways

A 127-year-old water main under New York’s Times Square gave way early Tuesday, flooding midtown streets and the city’s busiest subway station.

Governor Hochul secures $185 million for New York water infrastructure

(UI) — Governor Kathy Hochul has secured over $185 million for water infrastructure projects across New York. The Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors has given the green light to provide financial assistance for vital water infrastructure improvements throughout the state.

New York governor commits $20 million to Erie County water infrastructure upgrades

(UI) — The allocation will enable the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA) to embark on a long-anticipated $80 million modernization project, including the renewal of water filters responsible for treating 60 million daily gallons from Lake Erie.

Maui water deemed unsafe post-fire, filters ineffective in addressing contamination

The Maui fires damaged hundreds of drinking water pipes, resulting in a loss of pressure that can allow toxic chemicals along with metals and bacteria into water lines.

New Jersey invests $15.2 million to revitalize Monmouth Country infrastructure

(UI) — New Jersey American Water has announced a $15.2 million investment to replace over five miles of aging water main in Fair Haven, Middletown Township, and Union Beach, beginning this summer. The company will upgrade water lines that were installed as far back as the 1920s.

South Dakota receives federal grant to remove lead in school drinking water

(UI) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $426,000 in grant funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to remove lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities across South Dakota.

Wisconsin governor greenlights funds for PFAS eradication in stormwater, sewer systems

(UI) — Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have announced new funding available to help communities address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in wastewater.

6 days after fuel spill reported, most in Tennessee city still can’t drink the tap water

Many of the 40,000 people who live and work in the Memphis suburb of Germantown remained under an order Wednesday to avoid using water for everything except flushing toilets. They can't drink or boil tap water, or use it for showering or bathing.

USGS study estimates 45% of tap water has PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ present

(UI) — According to a new conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, at least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have one or more types of the chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS.

Tijuana, reliant on the Colorado River, faces a water crisis

Among the last cities downstream to receive water from the shrinking Colorado River, Tijuana is staring down a water crisis driven also by aging, inefficient infrastructure and successive governments that have done little to prepare the city for diminishing water in the region.