11.12.08
Wednesday Headlines: Columbus Residents Support Rate Increase
Most speakers at a hearing on proposed water and sewer rate increases for Columbus, Ohio told the city council Tuesday night they supported the higher fees. The increase is to cover the cost of preventing overflow problems that damage creeks and rivers in the area.
Headlines
A one foot section of corroded pipe in Reno, Nevada on Monday caused a water main rupture sending thousands of gallons of water onto the roadway.
In Maryland, residents in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties can sign up for a service that will alert them via e-mail or mobile phone text message if a burst pipe has cut off water service to their home or will snarl traffic.
Aging water infrastructure and a dramatic rise in system repairs forced the city council in Stillwater, Oklahoma to take a look at the situation and find solutions Monday.
Several residents in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas recently attended a city council meeting after enduring wastewater backup problems for more than a decade.
Sewer Rate News
Gretna, Pennsylvania
Hollister, Missouri
Portage Township, Michigan
Sugarcreek, Ohio
10.01.08
Wednesday Headlines: In Arkansas, Election to Decide Water Bond Program
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said he expects voters to approve a $300 million bond issue for water projects in November, provided they understand it will not raise their taxes. The measure would extend a $300 billion bond program approved by voters 10 years ago, and would renew bonding authority for the state’s grant and loan program for water, sewer and waste disposal projects.
Headlines
A water main break today in downtown Norwich, Connecticut has closed Courthouse Square to all vehicular traffic. It is believed that it will take anywhere from four to eight hours to complete repairs. Also, the basements of two businesses sustained water damaged and were pumped out.
Crews in Lawrence, Kansas worked yesterday to fix an 8-inch water main that broke Tuesday morning. Repairs to the waterline were completed yesterday with patching of the road stretching into today.
An 8-inch water main also broke yesterday in Bernards Township, New Jersey leaving 250 residents on 18 streets without water. Residents have been told to boil their tap water for five minutes before drinking it.
After years of talk, the City Council in West Liberty, Iowa has finally agreed to move forward on the expansion of its wastewater treatment facility.
Sewer Rate News
Delta, Missouri
Waurika, Oklahoma
08.19.08
Tuesday Headlines: Ky. City Receives Earmark to Fix Water Infrastructure
Work to expand Lexington, Kentucky’s most troublesome sanitary sewer pump station will begin in Spring 2009. The $18 million project will be partially funded by a $1.18 million federal budget earmark. Explaining the purpose for the earmark, Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) said, providing the proper infrastructure “is what government’s about and what government has to do to serve their people.”
Headlines
In Topeka, Kansas, a small amount of sewage that got into Wanamaker Creek on Monday prompted the city to issue stream advisory for the creek that flows to the Kansas River.
Monday morning’s sudden deluge caused the city of Portland, Oregon’s sewer system to overflow into the Willamette River.
In California, Placer County work crews had to repair a broken pipeline that spilled about 2,000 gallons of sewage into the Auburn Ravine. Residents are being urged to stay out of Auburn Ravine.
Here’s an interesting story about the state of Syracuse, New York’s water infrastructure, most of which was laid underground in the 1800s.
Sewer Rate News
Great Bend, Kansas
Helena, Montana
08.18.08
Monday Headlines: Gov, New Group Tackle New York’s Water Infrastructure
New York Governor David Patterson has announced the the formation of an environmental and government collaborative to help tackle a looming water infrastructure crisis facing New York State. The new initiative is focused on pressuring the federal government to help fix the water and sewer systems it helped build decades ago.
Headlines
The small community in Woodloch, Texas is facing the unenviable task of repairing its crumbling infrastructure without raising tax or water rates. Faced with cracking water mains, pipes made of asbestos concrete and a rusting storage tank, the town is in no position to lower rates, officials say.
A water main break in Boiling Springs, South Carolina shut down large portions of a road and flooded a nearby church last night.
In Lafayette, Indiana, Riehle Plaza will be closed for about two months beginning today as contractors prepare for construction of an underground combined sewer overflow system.
Sewer Rate News
Arlington, Texas
Lawrence, Kansas
Mill Valley, California
Vernon, Connecticut
07.25.08
Friday Headlines: KC Gets Extension for Sewer System Plan
Kansas City has received a six-month extension to submit its plan to federal authorities for overhauling its sewer system. The city wanted the extension from the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in order to incorporate more “green” solutions in its sewer pollution problems.
Headlines
In Novato, California, clean up has begun on a sewage spill that came out of a manhole and went into a storm drain that empties into Novato Creek. A grease blockage caused the sewer backup.
Wichita Water Department workers worked into the night repairing three water main breaks that were impeding traffic and disrupting service to several homes.
Many residents in the Heights section of Houston were without water after a water main break. The water main break created a sinkhole that was nearly 10 feet deep, that a garbage truck struck, rupturing the truck’s oil pan and spilling oil all over the road.
In North Carolina, the North Coast Regional Water Board has fined the Fort Bragg Municipal Improvement District for “discharges of partially treated and untreated wastewater from its sanitary sewer system.”
Sewer Rate News
Gloucester, Pennsylvania
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Manteca, California
07.18.08
Friday Headlines: Pipe Break, Sinkhole Snarls Traffic in Pasadena, Calif.
In California, all three lanes of the northbound Pasadena Freeway are open again after a huge sinkhole was repaired. According to Caltrans, the sinkhole was caused by the corrosion of a 30-foot storm sewer pipe which undermined the stability of the ground beneath the roadway. (photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
Headlines
Three major water mains broke in Fort Scott, Kansas during a 13-hour period this week. Decay of aging pipes is believed to be a primary cause for the breaking water mains.
In Pennsylvania, the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners have approved a $10.5 million plan to relieve backed-up sewers in the central Lehigh Valley.
A boil water alert remains in effect for some West Melbourne, Florida residents because of a water main break that occurred on Wednesday.
Flooding from broken water main in Kalamazoo, Michigan may keep a busy street closed until tomorrow. A break in an eight-inch water main underneath the road caused the surrounding area to rise a foot.
Sewer Rate News
McCook, Nebraska
Randolph, Massachusetts
Shiloh, Ohio
Teutopolis, Illinois
07.14.08
Monday Headlines: Continued Sewer Overflows Prompt Another Lawsuit
Some residents of Portsmouth, Ohio are tired of the mix of rainwater and untreated sewage overflowing into their homes, garages and yards when the city’s sewer system is overwhelmed. In 2004, a group of residents filed a lawsuit against the city that is still pending in Scioto County Common Pleas Court. Now another group of neighbors is preparing to file a second lawsuit to try to force the city to fix the problem.
Headlines
Residents in Canyon, Texas are still being urged to conserve water after two water main breaks this weekend.
The Monday morning commute was a bit slower for some motorists in Takoma Park, Maryland after a water main break shut down part of Piney Branch Road.
Four water main breaks early Saturday morning in Worcester, Massachusetts left 20 percent of the city without water or slow-running, murky water for most of the day. The city’s director of water and sewer operations wasn’t sure what caused the breaks, but age may have had something to do with it. One of the broken pipes was 82 years old.
Some Oil City, Louisiana residents worry raw sewage spilled near their homes is impacting the water quality of Caddo Lake and threatening the health and safety of swimmers, anglers and boaters.
Sewer Rate News
Chauncey, Ohio
Hammond, Louisiana
Riverside, California
Wichita, Kansas
07.01.08
Tuesday Headlines: Legislation Introduced to Protect Puget Sound
The Washington state Congressional delegation has introduced legislation that would be a new source of grant funding for water quality and stormwater discharge projects in the Puget Sound area of northwest Washington. Congressman Norm Dicks and Senator Maria Cantwell have introduced the Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2008 (H.R.6364 and S.3196), which would establish a distinct office within the EPA to coordinate the expanded efforts to address pollution impacts on Puget Sound.
Headlines
A federal judge will not issue a ruling for at least another month on a lawsuit against the city of Honolulu over hundreds of sewage spills across Oahu since 1999. The city has admitted violating the federal Clean Water Act in at least 99 sewage spills but is disputing an additional 207 spills.
The Eastwood section of Syracuse is experiencing low water pressure after two water main breaks this morning. (picture courtesy of WSYR-TV)
A tentative budget deal between Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and state lawmakers calls for borrowing about $2.5 billion for water and sewer projects, bridge repairs and other infrastructure projects. The budget agreement calls for $800 million in borrowing for water and sewer projects, paid for through slot-machine gambling revenues.
In Lawrence, Kansas, a sinkhole that appeared late last week in the East Hills Business Park was caused by a water line break, city officials said.
Sewer Rate News
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Marine City, Michigan
San Luis Obispo, California
Valdese, North Carolina
Victoria, Texas
06.11.08
Wednesday Headlines: House Appropriations Recommends $850 Million for SRF
The big news of the day is that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies held a mark up today for its Fiscal Year 2009 bill. The subcommittee has recommended $850 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and $842 million for the Drinking Water SRF. These numbers are less than the Clean Water Council had requested but more than was included in the President’s Budget. Below is a summary chart of the bill and Chairman Norm Dicks’ statement from the subcommittee markup.
Chairman Norm Dicks Statement from subcommittee markup
Department of Interior, environment and Related Agencies Summary Chart
The Pennsylvania State Senate has approved a plan to borrow $800 million to improve dams and drinking water and sewer systems in an effort to chip away at the state’s massive infrastructure needs.
Sewer Rate News
Evansville, Indiana
Hays, Kansas
Sweet Springs, Missouri
05.28.08
Wednesday Headlines: PG County, MD Sees Increase in Sewer Overflows
In Prince George’s County, Maryland, residents are upset that the new National Harbor (pictured right) project has made an already stressed sewer system even worse. Here’s the paragraph that caught my attention.
On April 25, the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, the anchor of National Harbor, celebrated its grand opening. On May 9, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) dumped 968,000 gallons of raw sewage into Broad Creek. On May 11 and 12, the WSSC dumped an additional 3.76 million gallons of untreated raw sewage into Broad Creek. This was the largest sewage dump into Broad Creek in years not resulting from a power outage, and it happened less than three weeks after National Harbor opened. The only dump of comparable magnitude was a 4.6 million-gallon event in February that resulted from a power outage.
Headlines
In Winona Lake, Minnesota, some residents were warned to boil their water before drinking it after an 8-inch water main broke.
A new book examines the history and politics of Los Angeles’ sewer system.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has ordered Johnson Utilities to post warning signs near standing water in Queen Creek Wash where the company has spilled thousands of gallons of raw sewage.
A sewage spill in Newport Beach, California has caused a portion of Newport Bay to shut down to swimming and surfing. From 1999 to 2007, there were 277 sewage spills in Orange County, 62 percent from some sort of blockage.
Sewer Rate News
Carroll County, Maryland
Fredonia, New York
Kansas City, Kansas
Mooresville, North Carolina
