Water News Update » Delaware

Thursday’s Water News: 2.3 Billion Gallons of Sewage Dumped in Lake St. Clair (Mich.)

bengann — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:30:47 +0000

Top Story
In Michigan, 2.3 billion gallons of sewage was dumped into Lake St. Clair and other local waterways due to the recent heavy rains, forcing the continued closure of three local beaches. Of the total pollution discharged, at least 2 million gallons consisted of raw sewage.

Other Headlines
A newly completed sewer facility in northeast Queens (N.Y.) will reduce the amount of pollutants discharged into Alley Creek and Little Neck Bay. As part of the project, several storm drains were installed to reduce flooding issues along the Cross Island Parkway.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell has proposed sending $2 million to the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which would be combined with federal money to help municipalities fund wastewater infrastructure projects.

A boil-water advisory remains in effect for about 60,000 customers of the Anderson Regional Joint Water System in South Carolina after a water main break Wednesday evening. Although water service has been restored to the customers, the boil water advisory affects a third of the systems customers.

Eighty percent of the 74 water sample locations conducted along the Hudson River after the heavy rains of mid-May resulted in “unacceptable” levels of pollution from sewage overflow into the river. The sampling was conducted from New York Harbor north to Waterford. Not one sample north of Poughkeepsie had an acceptable reading.

Water and Sewer Rate News
Millinocket, Maine
Onsted, Michigan
Roseville, California
Washington Township, Michigan

Monday’s Water News: House of Representatives Passes Bill Cutting Water Infrastructure Funding

bengann — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:08:11 +0000

Top Story
On Friday, the House of Representatives passed legislation which would cut funding for the EPA’s SRF programs through the end of the fiscal year which ends on September 30. The SRF programs were cut by $1.967 billion from last year’s fiscal levels to $1.52 billion. The Senate will consider its own spending bill for the remainder of the fiscal year next week. The current continuing resolution for funding the government expires March 4.

Other Headlines
A water main break in Shaler, Pennsylvania late Sunday night spilled 2 million gallons of water onto a popular roadway and flooded nearby homes.

State environmental officials in Delaware have levied penalties totaling $514,000 on the town of Millsboro and city of Harrington for polluting local waterways with excessive and harmful discharges of sewage over the last two years from their wastewater treatment plants.

The city of Akron, Ohio wants a jury to hear a possible civil trial in U.S. District Court over its 34 remaining sewers that overflow The request for a jury trial has been filed with a judge, who first must rule on a proposed consent decree between Akron, the EPA and Ohio EPA.

A $10.5 million, 18-month project to improve the quality of water released from the Bowie, Maryland’s wastewater treatment plant is nearly complete. The upgrade reduces levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the treated water discharged into the Patuxent River which eventually empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

Water and Sewer Rate News
East Union Township, Pennsylvania
Holden, Massachusetts

Thursday’s Water News: Drinking Water Service Shut Down for Residents in Ames, Iowa

bengann — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:45:38 +0000

Officials in Ames, Iowa have closed the city’s water supply after a water main broke beneath a flooded creek. The shut down leaves most of the city’s 55,000 residents without drinking water. Iowa has been hit with widespread flooding after three nights of storms.

Headlines
Opposition has emerged to a proposal to build a big commercial wastewater treatment plant in Sussex County, Delaware that’s envisioned to serve thousands of new homes spreading northwest from Rehoboth Bay.

The Y Bridge and a portion of Main Street in Zanesville, Ohio was expected to be open this morning after a water main break caused a closure on Wednesday. The bridge had to be closed because a large portion of the road had to be torn up to repair the break.

Stimulus Spotlight
The city of Tacoma, Washington’s Water System is issuing $73.65 million in Build America Bonds–a program created in the economic stimulus– for repairs of its water and sewer systems.

In addition, the city of Sarasota, Florida is issuing $33.7 million in Build America Bonds for a system that provides water supply, treatment and delivery to nearly 19,000 residents.

Sewer Rate News
Malvern, Ohio
New Hanover County, North Carolina
Sturgis, Michigan
Whittier, California

Thursday’s Water News: 20 Million Gallons of Sewage Pours into Biscane Bay

joepaul1 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:38:20 +0000

Authorities were forced to flood Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida with 20 million gallons of raw sewage after a leak last weekend. The leak had been held up in Biscayne Canal, but authorities, realizing that there was too much sewage to clean, were forced to let it flow into the popular bay. Swimming has been banned until further notice due to contamination.

Headlines
More than 130,000 gallons of sewagw was released into waterways across Missouri last week. The cause of the Kansas City leak has been determined as being heavy rains and mechanical malfunctions, but the cause of other spills remains a mystery to officials.

The Borough Council in Everson, Pennsylvania has sent a letter criticizing the Westmoreland Fayette Municipal Sewage Authority’s assessment of the sewage system in Everson. Among their complaints are that the Authority’s report states that the sewage system in Everson is 50 years old, while Everson has data saying it was built in 1912.

Floods in Clinton County, Indiana have resulted in widespread sewage overflows. The water is said to be contaminated and residents are advised to avoid contact until further notice.

Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to an influx of more than $16 million in federal stimulus loans and grants, Sussex County, Delaware engineers and staff are busy preparing to spend more than $50 million overall in fiscal 2010 on sewer projects.

Sewer Rate News
Albany, New York
Baltimore, Maryland
Brookline, Massachusetts
Defiance, Ohio

Monday’s Water News: Storms Lead to 23.6 Million Gallon Sewer Overflow in Milwaukee

egold24 — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:26:33 +0000

In Wisconsin, it was announced on Friday that combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood released an estimated 23.6 million gallons of a sewage and storm water mix to local rivers and Lake Michigan after an intense rain storm on June 15.

Headlines
Twenty million gallons of sewage spilled into the Biscayne Bay on Saturday in Miami, Florida. A 72-inch sewer pipe burst and deposited raw sewage into the bay.

Officials have issued a boil order for portions of East Chicago, Indiana after a water main break early Monday. The water main break also created a sink hole that swallowed up a car that was parked on the street.

Stimulus Spotlight
Nekoosa, Wisconsin is set to receive more than $3 million in federal funds for wastewater treatment improvements from the economic stimulus. The $2.47 million loan and a $607,000 grant will help with upgrades to Nekoosa’s treatment plant and associated infrastructure.

A stimulus loan and grant will finance water and wastewater upgrades in Freeport, South Carolina. Freeport will receive a $1.35 million loan and a $1.17 million grant to finance the upgrades apportioned by the ARRA.

Sewer Rate News
Farmington, Michigan
Georgetown, Delaware
Malden, Massachusetts
Waterloo, Iowa

Friday’s Water News: Kansas City Agrees to $2.5B, 25-Year Plan on Sewers

bradhannon — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:13:33 +0000

The City Council in Kansas City voted unanimously yesterday on a proposal to authorize a consent decree with the federal government for a massive, $2.5 billion overhaul of the city’s aging sewer system. The settlement allows a 25-year implementation schedule for the city’s sewer overflow control plan.

Headlines
A road in Cincinnati, Ohio had to be shut down early Friday morning because of a water main break. Reports from the scene indicate the road buckled and water gushed onto the street.

Police in Rensselaer, New York say water service has returned to most of the city, after a water main break Thursday afternoon. A boil water order has also been issued for city residents and a tanker of safe drinking water has been made available for city residents.

Stimulus Spotlight
Delaware Senators Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman have announced the funding of local projects designed to modernizing water quality and public sanitation services in Sussex County. The funding, which comes through ARRA, is expected to provide construction jobs and create infrastructure needed to support community growth. The funding includes a $5,582,000 loan and a $2,999,847 grant.

In West Virginia, Wayne County has requested an additional $2 million bond allocation to help finance water and wastewater upgrades that will provide service to Tri-State Airport. The county will add this to its prior allocation of $3.5 million for the projects.

Sewer Rate News
Greenfield, California
Homer Glen, Illinois
Imperial, Nebraska
King County, Washington

Tuesday’s Water News: Water Main Break in Orlando, Fla. Causes Giant Hole

bradhannon — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:45:47 +0000

A water main brake in Orlando, Florida on Orange Avenue has caused flooding in the street. The road has now opened up leaving a giant hole where you can see the original Orlando brick road.

Headlines

The Augusta, Kansas Public Building Commission considered a change order for the water service line to the new city hall under construction in Central Park. After discussion, the Council opted for a larger public service line to serve city hall and future development. The cost was reported to be $10,150 and will be paid from the city’s water fund.

The state of Michigan is ordering the City of Three Rivers to clean up its public water supply. The order requires Three Rivers to continuously disinfect its public water supply with existing equipment while permanent water treatment is designed, permitted and installed.

In Maryland the Howard County Council unanimously approved the extension of public water and sewer utilities to the northeast corner of historic Doughoregan Manor to preserve the rest of the estate.

Sewer Stimulus

Using millions of state and federal dollars, Gloucester, Massachusetts is overhauling its faulty water and sewer infrastructure. The city has been approved for $14.6 million in special low-interest loans, which are partially subsidized by the state’s revolving fund. Additionally, Gloucester will receive $2 million in loan forgiveness from the federal government’s stimulus package.

Yuma Elementary School in Tennessee stands to benefit greatly from a stimulus-funded sewer project the Scott County Public Service Authority hopes to begin. Construction on the $3.1 million sewer project’s first phase, which would bring service to Yuma Elementary and 100 nearby homes and businesses, will most likely begin this summer.

Sewer Rate News

Frankford, Delaware
Lee County, Florida
Olive Branch, Mississippi
North Canton, Ohio

Tuesday’s Water News: North Carolina Water Main Break Washes Out Road

bengann — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:48:51 +0000

A waterline break in Kannapolis, North Carolina has washed out the westbound lanes of state Highway 3 and has caused a road closure which is expected to cause major traffic issues for the remainder of the week.

Headlines
Several hundred students were dismissed from the middle school in Stanton, Delaware this morning after a water main break left the school without water service.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has levied a $15,150 fine against the city of Coos Bay for an incident last June when the city’s wastewater plant in Empire discharged water with too many suspended solids and too little oxygen.

Stimulus Spotlight
Virginia Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner announced that Wythe County has received more than $4.4 million in grants and $7.4 million in loans from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for improvements to water treatment systems.

$18.7 million from the economic stimulus will help three Mid-Missouri towns with improvements to their water systems.

Sewer Rate News
Camdenton, Missouri
Clark, New Jersey
Davenport, Iowa
West Branch, Iowa

Monday’s Water News: Ambulance Falls into Sinkhole from Water Main Break

bengann — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:48:36 +0000

An ambulance in Indianapolis dropped nose first into a sinkhole this morning caused by a water main break. The street was covered in about two feet of water and the ambulance had to be towed from the sinkhole.

Headlines
Officials in Wilmington, Delaware urged thousands of city water customers to boil their water Saturday because of possible water-quality problems created by a water main break.

A mile-long sewer line in Taylors, South Carolina that was installed along State Route 290 15 years ago could be replaced and upgraded this year as the area anticipates future growth and development on the corridor, which lies on the outskirts of its fire and sewer district.

Stimulus Spotlight
Austin, Texas this week will begin a $31.8 million stimulus-funded treatment plant project that will create 150 jobs, increase energy efficiency and reduce operational costs.

The town of Louisville, New York will receive $6.79 million, or 65 percent of the project cost, in stimulus funds for a new water project.

Sewer Rate News
Auburn, Michigan
Hudson, Ohio
New Albany, Indiana
Rush Township, Pennsylvania

Tuesday Headlines: Delaware Wastewater Project Nears Completion

bengann — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:20:16 +0000

A long-awaited and controversial wastewater system project in Rehoboth, Delaware should be completed later this month, but will cost $28,000 more than the original estimate of $950,000 because of the rainy summer.

Headlines
The city of Dearborn, Michigan may seek to extend the deadline for completing its federally mandated Combined Sewer Overflow project beyond 2012.

A water main break on a major thoroughfare in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Monday evening, closing a section of one of the city’s busiest streets.

Stimulus Spotlight
The city council in Carlsbad, New Mexico is expected to approve a resolution today that authorizes the city to accept a $1.3 million state grant and receive a loan of $592,000 to replace water lines. The grant portion of the funding is from the economic stimulus.

As part of the economic stimulus, the state of Massachusetts has awarded $750,266 in grants to 11 communities for projects to conduct watershed nonpoint source pollution assessment and planning work to address water quality impairments.

Sewer Rate News
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Jacksonville, Illinois
Log Lane Village, Colorado
Missoula, Montana