Water

Keystone Pipeline Leak Didn’t Hit Water Supplies, Officials Say

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil onto agricultural land in northeastern South Dakota, but state officials don’t believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. State officials and pipeline operator Tra..

Oral Arguments Scheduled In Texas-New Mexico Water Fight

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in a lengthy battle between New Mexico and Texas over management of one of North America’s longest rivers. Oral arguments in the Rio Grande case are scheduled Jan. 8. All sides say the stakes are high given uncertainty ab..

Vermont Lawmaker Floats Fee to Fund Water Quality Projects

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont lawmaker is proposing a land parcel fee to supplement funding for water quality projects. Vermont Public Radio reports Democratic Natural Resources Chair Sen. Christopher Bray is backing the proposal. Under the plan, property owners would pay $1 each month. Bray say..

Parties Pledge New Thinking to Solve Interstate Water Fight

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Farmers in southern New Mexico, water policy experts, lawyers and others are all working behind the scenes to craft possible solutions that could help to end a lengthy battle with Texas over management of the Rio Grande. The case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and..

Officials: Water Safe at 3 Michigan Schools Amid Chemical Concerns

ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) — Officials say says trace levels of hazardous chemicals in water at three western Michigan elementary schools don’t pose a public health risk. Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Michael Shibler released an update Wednesday on testing. The state had agreed to test water qua..

Water Pollution Lawsuit Settled in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A major chicken processing plant that has been cited for polluting the Suwannee River settled a lawsuit on Wednesday that was brought by environmental groups in Florida. Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. settled the suit with Environment Florida and the Sierra Club, agreeing to pay $1..

Kansas Lawmakers Disagree on Funding for Water Resources

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An interim legislative committee in Kansas is struggling to agree on where funding should come from to extend the life of the state’s water resources. The joint Special Committee on Natural Resources decided Monday not to recommend raising any fees to pay for projects that would..

EPA Awards $12M to Iowa Drinking Water Loan Program

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded more than $12 million to Iowa’s drinking water revolving loan program to help finance improvements to water projects around the state. The funding will be used for projects that will improve municipal drinking water and wa..

Kansas Governor Confident State's Water Will be Preserved

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback said he is optimistic that Kansans will change past practices and adopt new technologies to help preserve the state’s water resources. During the annual Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water this week in Manhattan, the governor predicted increased pu..

Imperial Beach Shoreline Closure Lifted After Water Tests

IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (AP) — San Diego County authorities have lifted a closure of the Imperial Beach shoreline that was impacted by sewage-contaminated flows from the Tijuana River entering the United States. The Department of Environmental Health announced the action Sunday afternoon following t..

Rural Areas at Risk as Water Levels Drop in Massive Aquifer

DENVER (AP) — The draining of a massive aquifer that underlies portions of eight states in the central U.S. is drying up streams, causing fish to disappear and threatening the livelihood of farmers who rely on it for their crops. Water levels in the Ogallala aquifer have been dropping for decades a..

West Virginia Town, City Share $27M for Water, Sewer Projects

CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia’s U.S. senators say two municipalities are sharing almost $27 million in loans and grants from the Department of Agriculture for improving their water and wastewater systems. According to Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, the town of Moorefield will g..

Election Could Lead to Long-Term Water Deal for Flint

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The election of new City Council members might break an impasse and lead to a long-term deal over drinking water in Flint, Michigan. The state has been asking a federal judge to allow Flint’s mayor to bypass the council and approve a 30-year agreement with the Great Lakes Water ..

Dirty Water at Airport Prompts Testing of Neighborhood Wells

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Contaminated water has been found at the Fairbanks International Airport, prompting officials to plan tests at private wells in nearby neighborhoods. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that neighborhood wells will begin to be tested on Monday to see if they are also con..

Wisconsin Assembly to Pass Bill Allowing Lead Pipe Replacement Loans

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly is set to send a bill designed to help homeowners pay for replacing lead pipes to Gov. Scott Walker. The bill up for a final vote Thursday allows public water utilities and local governments to provide grants, loans or both to property owners to help them..

Samples Clear, but Pennsylvania Customers Told to Continue Boiling Water

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pennsylvania American Water says it’s detected no contamination in sampling conducted after the company told 100,000 customers to boil their water. The water company said Wednesday the boil advisory will remain in effect until it gets results from a second round of sampling. Penn..

Federal Judge Sides with New Mexico Ranchers in Water Case

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A U.S. court has sided with a New Mexico ranching family in a decades-long battle over access to water on national forest land, providing more certainty that state law allows for the protection of water rights dating back more than a century. The case of the Goss family h..

Official: Puerto Rico Needs 'Unprecedented' Federal Help

WASHINGTON (AP) — Puerto Rico has suffered such extensive devastation from Hurricane Maria that its recovery will fail unless the island gets more help from the Trump administration and Congress, the head of a federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances said Tuesday. Natalie Ja..

More than 100,000 Pennsylvania Customers Told to Boil Water

PITTSBURGH (AP) — More than 100,000 Pennsylvania customers are being told to boil their water before using it. At least two school districts canceled classes Tuesday after Pennsylvania American Water issued the advisory for parts of southern Allegheny and Washington counties. The company advised r..

Colorado School Closes After Water Main Break Causes Flooding

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Crews are working to repair a major water main break in Greeley which has caused flooding in businesses and schools, forcing them and many streets to close. The Greeley Tribune reports officials believe the break occurred Sunday night. Superintendent of Distribution, Transmis..

Michigan Environmental Agency Gives Deadline for Plume Model

ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has given a shoe manufacturer until later this month to handle the scope of a toxic chemical plume leaking through the groundwater from the company’s landfill. The department sent a letter to Wolverine World Wide on Friday rega..

Water Woes Bubble Below the Surface in Flint Recall Election

DETROIT (AP) — Karen Weaver was elected mayor of Flint two years ago arguing that her predecessor had bungled the response to the city’s lead-contaminated water crisis. Seventeen other people now believe they can do a better job and are seeking to oust her Tuesday in a recall election. The ballot ..

Key Court Hearing for State Official in Flint Water Scandal

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s chief medical executive is facing the start of an important court hearing tied to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak during the Flint water crisis. Prosecutors will try to persuade a judge to send Dr. Eden Wells to trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter, obstructi..

Trenton Water Works Asks Customers to Use Less Water

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The utility company that services Trenton is asking customers to use less water due to operational issues. The Trentonian reports the state Department of Environment Protection issued a release on Saturday requesting Trenton Water Works customers cut back on water use. Accordin..

White Mountain Apache Ask for Tweak to Allow Water Project

WASHINGTON (AP) — A White Mountain Apache leader told House members Thursday that the tribe desperately needs to “replace the failing and terminal groundwater well system,” but that current Interior Department regulations are preventing the tribe from moving forward on the project. Tribe Vice Cha..

As Election Looms, Michigan Wants Flint Water Deal Soon

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Michigan officials want the mayor of Flint to quickly sign a 30-year deal with a regional water agency after the City Council failed to come up with a long-term solution following the city’s lead-tainted water crisis. The state asked a judge on Friday to grant the signing power ..

New Hampshire Drinking Water Commission Approves $35M in State Projects

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A state advisory commission on drinking water and groundwater has approved $35 million in grants and loans for communities across New Hampshire. One of the projects approved for funding Thursday was a statewide assessment of drinking and groundwater contamination. Others involv..

Lead in Portland Water Exceeded Federal Limits at Some Homes

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Water Bureau has found that lead levels at high-risk homes in the city exceeded federal limits. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Thursday the city tested water from a sampling of 134 homes deemed at high risk for lead exposure because they contain plumbing manufa..

Texas Residents Sue over Water Release During Harvey

VIDOR, Texas — More than 120 Southeast Texas residents have signed on to a federal lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers illegally took their property when it released water from a reservoir and a dam during Hurricane Harvey flooding their homes. The residents of Orange County, abo..

Michigan Health Chief Back in Court over Flint Water Crisis

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s urban affairs adviser contradicted the governor again Wednesday about when Snyder first learned about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the Flint area. Harvey Hollins told a judge last month that he told Snyder about the outbreak late in 201..