Headlines
A 30-inch water main ruptured in San Diego early this morning, flooding a neighborhood, blocking traffic and leaving residents along two blocks without functional plumbing for the day.

Water rushed down a street in Ewing, New Jersey yesterday. People who work in the area near the break say a similar incident occurred a few months ago in roughly the same area.

Stimulus Spotlight
Port Wentworth, Georgia has broken ground on a new wastewater treatment facility which includes $17.5 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Part of the funding is a $10 million loan from EPA with about $4 million of it being forgiven. In addition,  the city also received $7.5 million in stimulus funds from the USDA.

The city of Newark, Ohio’s wastewater department will use money from the federal stimulus projects construct a new wastewater treatment plant. The stimulus funds will not only prevent further rate increases but also allow the city to move up some of the projects to separate stormwater and wastewater lines.

Sewer Rate News
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Madison County, Illinois
Sedona, Arizona

As he recalled, the city had a long cold snap with about a month and a half of below-freezing temperatures. Then, abruptly, the mercury rose into the 60s, he said, “and 58 of our water mains broke, causing all sorts of havoc.”

The pipes were old. Some were ancient. “My water people told me that some had been laid in the 19th century,” said Mr. Rendell, “and they were laid shallow, without much protection. So with any radical changes in temperature, they were susceptible to breaking. We had a real emergency on our hands.”

Headlines
In North Dakota, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa has received a $1 million grant to complete funding for a $3.3 million water tower project.  The Bureau of Reclamation is contributing $1.3 million and the Indian Health Service $1 million to the project.

The City of Arlington, Texas announced on Sunday that a sanitary sewer overflow had occurred due to “the volume of snow melt.” The overflow dumped into Lake Arlington, a source of drinking water for the City of Arlington.

Stimulus Spotlight
Officials gathered on Monday in Fresno, Ohio for the groundbreaking on construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. The project is expected to cost $3.4 million and will be funded in part by a $2.14 million loan from the economic stimulus, which does not need to be repaid because it is a principal forgiveness loan.

A $1.2-million project is now under way in Kirbyville, Missouri where approximately 40 commercial and residential structures in the village will be hooked to a centralized sewer system by July.  The project is being funded by stimulus funds and Taney County’s half-cent sewer sales tax.

Sewer Rate News
Avon, Ohio
Albany, Oregon
Genoa Township, Michigan
Lula, Georgia

Headlines
Sewer problems are plaguing a street in Gautier, Mississippi that has a lingering sewer smell that has affected residents for years after every heavy rain. The city is spending $12,000 to clean out a sewer line that affects the street and installing a liner in a sewer main at a cost of $100,000.

Gloucester, Massachusetts is set to borrow $20 million to pay for federally mandated sewer improvements — including a renovation of a wastewater treatment plant and continuation of a four-year-old combined sewer overflow project.

Stimulus Spotlight
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is planning to use money from the economic stimulus to replace part of the water system for the historic Onahu Lodge in the Kawuneeche Valley.

Nearly $16 million in economic stimulus bonds will be used to improve water systems in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The first part of the two-pronged water project would establish a water main using $11 million of the bonds.

Sewer Rate News
Livonia, Michigan
Pima County, Arizona
Temple, Georgia
Worcester, Massachusetts

Headlines
The cold weather has broken so many water lines in High Point, North Carolina that officials are asking residents to conserve water.  City public services director Chris Thompson says the city has worked on about 30 water main breaks in the past month.

Hundreds of people in two Rosebud County, Montana communities spent the past week without running water, and relief may be delayed for some residents.  Northern Cheyenne Tribe president Leroy Spang has declared a state of emergency, and officials and volunteers have been delivering bottled water to residents.

A major water main break knocked out water for hundreds of people living in Warner Robins, Georgia overnight.

Stimulus Spotlight
Upgrades at the Field’s Point Wastewater Treatment Facility will create approximately 75 local construction jobs, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s office said Wednesday.  Whitehouse, D-R.I., toured the plant Wednesday to learn about the planned upgrades, which are being funded by the economic stimulus law.

Virginia was second in the nation to fund all its water-quality projects, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday. All 35 projects are under contract or under construction, he said.   In April, the State Water Control Board approved $77.7 million in federal money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, through the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund.

Sewer Rate News
Prescott, Arizona
Fall River, Massachusetts
Lindenhurst, Illinois

Headlines
At least 105 water mains burst between last Wednesday and Monday morning in Dallas, Texas. On average the city has four or five breaks per day. Dallas Water Utilities Assistant Director Charles Stringer attributed 60 percent of the breaks to the weather – the coldest in more than a decade.

Atlanta, Georgia crews were working to repair another round of water main breaks early Tuesday.  The total number — 15 breaks in 24 hours — could be a record for the city. As the mains break, water flows onto roadways and eventually becomes ice in the freezing temperatures.

Stimulus Update
In New Jersey, Atlantic County has approved borrowing $5.9 million of stimulus money from the economic stimulus to repair and rehabilitate processing equipment at a Wastewater Treatment Facility in Atlantic City. More than half of the loan – $3,955,000 – will be forgiven and will not need to be repaid

The county of Aiken, South Carolina has started work on a sewer system that it will eventually take over from the Avondale Mills water system and will receive $4 million in stimulus funds to repair the system.

Sewer Rate News
Collierville, Tennessee
Conneaut, Ohio
De Soto, Kansas
Fenton, Michigan

Headlines
A water main has broken in Dearing, Georgia has left dozens of homes and businesses without water. “It’s a major catastrophe for Dearing. You know when you have to call and put it on the radio,” said Sean Kelley, Mayor of Dearing.

Workers in Tempe, Arizona are trying to repair a broken water main that has forced a road to be closed this morning.

In Poway, California, a water main break left nearly 30 homes with water service last night.

Stimulus Spotlight
The utility district in Mars Hill, Maine recently received more than $2.5 million in grant and loan funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for wastewater system upgrades.

Sewer Rate News
El Dorado, California
Exeter, New Hampshire
Kenner, Louisiana
Marshalltown, Iowa

Headlines
Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney has announced that $300,000 in new federal funding will help jump-start the  design and construction of a water main between the towns of East Lyme and Waterford.

A water line break yesterday in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania that threatened a U.S. Postal Service building and disrupted service to 15 customers.

Stimulus Spotlight
A new water treatment plant that removes arsenic from drinking water is now operating in Tubac, Arizona. Construction of the plant was partially funded by a grant from the economic stimulus package.

Tuppers Plains, Ohio Regional Sewer District has received a grant and loan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  to upgrade its 15 year-old sewer system. 

Sewer Rate News
Conneaut, Ohio
Goodview, Minnesota
Fenton, Michigan
Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Headlines
A sewer overflow Friday in Columbia, Missouri, sent more than 50,000 gallons of raw sewage into a tributary to Cedar Lake.

City engineers are working to repair a huge water main break in Buffalo, New York. Engineers say only a few residents nearby should see reduced water pressure while they’re repairing the damage.

A broken water main in Atlanta, Georgia forced most of the Cumberland Mall to shut down for several hours om Monday.

 Stimulus Spotlight
The city of McAllen, Texas will save more than $30 million in the upgrade of a wastewater plant after qualifying for federal stimulus dollars.

In Ohio, Tuppers Plains Regional Sewer District has received a grant through the federal economic stimulus program and loan funds to upgrade its 15 year-old sewer system.

Sewer Rate News
Akron, Ohio
Loudon County, Virginia
Somerset, Pennsylvania
Spokane, Washington

Headlines
In Greensboro, North Carolina, a water main break caused icy spots and closed lanes near a major intersection this morning.

A water main break has closed a major road in Johns Creek, Georgia.  Fulton County water crews are on the scene working to repair the 8- to 10-inch line. The repairs and road closures are expected  to take all day.

There is a water main break in Jefferson City. Missouri that has caused a small wave of water flowing into a street right.

Stimulus Spotlight
Federal stimulus money will help Frankfort, Illinois upgrade its water system, local officials said this week.  Mayor Jim Holland said the city is getting a 20-year, zero-interest $2.7 million loan as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Alabama environmental management agency rewarded the city of Decatur with an extra $600,000 in economic stimulus funds for drinking water projects. 

Sewer Rate News
Bristol Township, Pennsylvania
Longview, Washington
Maysville, Kentucky
Pelham, Alabama

Headlines

A water main break in downtown Washington, D.C. closed a major street during the Wednesday morning commute.  The D.C. Water and Sewage Authority noted that some in the area will see their water service disrupted while repairs were made.

In Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, an overnight water main break has affected all 2,200 homes in the beach community of Sawgrass. Residents have been encourages to boil their water for the next two days while repairs are made.

Stimulus Spotlight

The City Council in El Paso, Texas has unanimously approved selling bonds for three stormwater utility projects. Money for the projects will come from selling $6.425 million in bonds, but the city will save nearly $3.6 million in interest over 20 years because of a no-interest loan from the federal stimulus.

Federal stimulus money will help build a wastewater reuse system in Paulding, Georgia for residential irrigation and discharge diversion.

Sewer Rate News
Columbia, South Carolina
Elgin, Illinois
Fort Payne, Alabama
Youngstown, Ohio