Water

Illinois Governor Signs $45 Billion State Construction Bill

Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed into law a plan that will pour $45 billion into state construction projects to build and upgrade roads, bridges, parks and schools — and will require drivers, smokers and gamblers to pick up the tab.

City of Detroit to Upgrade Aging Water, Sewer Systems

Water and sewer systems across Detroit are being upgraded neighborhood by neighborhood.

Louisville, KY Set to Build $200 Million Sewer Tunnel

In order to protect itself from waterway overflow, the City of Louisville is preparing to build a 20-foot wide underground sewer tunnel, to the tune of $200 million.

Brown and Caldwell

Brown and Caldwell, a leading environmental engineering and construction firm, was selected by King County, Wash., Wastewater Treatment Division as prime consultant on development of the county’s Clean Water Plan. This four-year effort will chart a path for future water-quality investments and initiatives in the central Puget Sound region.

Rehab Method Protects Pipeline Seams from Corrosion—and Floats

For the rehabilitation of a drinking water pipeline in the district of Aalen, 124 miles northeast of Munich, Germany, the DENSO Group Germany protects weld seams from corrosion quickly and efficiently using a new laying method that floats in water.

EPA Develops Water Reuse Action Plan

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun an effort to develop a new program to support water reuse.

Worker Rescued After Trench Collapse in Western Michigan

A construction worker has been hospitalized after being rescued from a trench that collapsed in western Michigan.

EPA Provides $2.6 Billion in New Funding for Water Infrastructure

New funding will assist states in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

Arkansas Suggests Answers for Bethel Heights Wastewater Woes

Arkansas regulators have suggested two possible solutions to the wastewater woes Bethel Heights has struggled since 2007 to resolve: connect to another wastewater treatment system, or build a new facility.

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.

Water Authority Surpasses Phosphorus Reduction Goals

A Detroit-based drinking water and wastewater treatment service provider says it has surpassed a federal and state regulators’ goal for cutting phosphorus levels.

How to Select the Right Trench Protection System

How a utility contractor chooses to excavate on a job site can make all the difference in the project outcome. When you consider that 30 to 40 percent of all excavations lack the appropriate protective solutions, it should come as no surprise that projects are often over budget and overdue. When you add the very real risk of injury or death, a lack of proper protection makes no sense at all.

EPA Announces New WIFIA Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making funding available to provide an estimated $6 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in 2019. “Through WIFIA, we are addressing several of President Trump’s top priorities, simultaneously: modernizing our nati..

EPA Announces $2.6 Billion in Availability for Water Improvement Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of $2.6 billion in new funds to assist states, tribes and territories with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across the country.

Montana Governor OKs $400 Million in Infrastructure Spending

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock signed a series of bills that allow for spending nearly $400 million on buildings, bridges and water systems across the state — an effort aimed at creating jobs, boosting the state's economy and clearing up a backlog of needed work.

Stormwater Needs Survey Shows $7.5B Annual Funding Gap

A recent analysis of needs of the U.S. stormwater sector shows an estimated $7.5 billion annual funding gap and revealed top priorities and challenges across the country.

Flint Receives Part of $140 Million Loan for Water Improvements

The city of Flint received over $77 million in funding this week that was originally promised in 2017 after 12 residents died from drinking lead-tainted water five years ago.

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.

West Virginia Governor Announces Infrastructure Grants

Gov. Jim Justice says West Virginia has secured $3.4 million in federal grants to help improve broadband and wastewater infrastructure in McDowell County.

Miami gets $99.7 Million Federal Loan for Wastewater Upgrade

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department with a $99.7 million federal loan to build 14 injection wells designed to stop wastewater from going into the Atlantic Ocean.

Hoffman Southwest Expands Nationally Via Tri-State Acquisition

Hoffman Southwest acquired Chesapeake, Virginia-based Tri-State Utilities in a transaction that creates a national presence through the combination of two major underground infrastructure firms on the East and West coasts.

Water Treatment Plants Scramble to Meet Sludge Test Deadline

Wastewater treatment plants across Maine are working quickly to meet a deadline to begin testing municipal sludge for so-called forever chemicals.

USDA to Fund $116 Million in Rural Water, Wastewater Infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will invest $116 million to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure for 171,000 rural Americans in 23 states.

National Safe Digging Month Highlights Importance of Calling 811

(UC) - As the calendar turns to April and spring temperatures arrive, home improvement and construction work steadily increases. Since these projects often require digging and excavation, it is appropriate that April is designated as National Safe Digging Month. This nationwide public safety initiat..

EPA Announces New WIFIA Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the availability of funding to provide an estimated $6 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in 2019.

WSSC Now Accepting Applications for Commissioners’ Engineering Scholarship Program

LAUREL, Md. – Why is tap water better than bottled? That’s what engineering students will answer as part of their application to WSSC’s annual Commissioners’ Engineering Scholarship Program, worth up to $10,000 in scholarship money and paid internship experience over four years. The scholarship prog..

CASE Announces Fourth-Annual Dire States Equipment Grant

CASE Construction Equipment has issued the call for entries for the 2019 Dire States Equipment Grant. Submissions can be made at DireStates.com/Grant. The 2019 entry deadline is March 31, 2019, and the winner will be announced in April 2019.

NASSCO: Active Year Marks Diverse Efforts For NASSCO

Welcoming a new executive director, continuing programs to establish and improve wastewater infrastructure standards, and educating the industry about maintaining and rehabilitating sewer infrastructure kept members and staff of NASSCO busy throughout 2018.

Gas Distribution Replacement Work Continues Strong Pace

As recently as 2017, the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) estimated 30,000 miles of cast-iron pipe still carried gas in the United States, with the highest percentage of these mains located in older eastern cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

First Look: Utilizing Inertial Navigation Technology for 3D Mapping, Locating, Management

Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in the quality and application of inertial navigation technology targeted at mapping underground pipe and duct assets. This article provides information on pipeline technologies that are available to map a minimum internal diameter (ID) of 1.6-inch to larger sizes. The pipeline mapping system offers a range of solutions that can map any pipe, regardless of its material, depth or type of utility.