August 31, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: New Jersey Appropriates $821 Million for Wastewater, Drking Water Projects
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed legislation to appropriate $821 million in no-cost and low-cost loans for crucial water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state. The financing, administered through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program, will make available approximately $549 million for clean water project loans and $272 million for drinking water project loans, with the federal government picking up at least half of the cost.
Headlines
The city of Austin, Texas is cleaning up a wastewater spill in a heavily wooded area of eastern Travis County. City officials estimate at least 100,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the creek and said that residents and their pets should avoid the water there until crews can clean up the spill.
A water main break on 16th Street in Omaha is fixed, but road restrictions remained in effect this morning. Traffic has been reduced to one lane in each direction on 16th Street as repairs are being made.
Stimulus Spotlight
Today in Louisiana, the Iberia Parish government and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had a ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of an Iberia Parish wastewater treatment facility near the Acadiana Regional Airport. The federal portion of this project is funding through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be in Berlin, Maryland this week to see firsthand the construction progress of the town’s wastewater treatment plant, a project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Sewer Rate News
Fluvanna County, Virginia
Marshall, Missouri
Parkersburg, Pennsylvania
Petoskey, Michigan
July 21, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Officials in Shreveport Struggle to Clean up Champion Lake
After a 9 million gallons of sewage spilled into Champion Lake due to a burst wastewater line, officials in Shreveport, Louisiana, went straight to work two weeks ago to clean up the mess. However, cleanup is taking longer than expected and officials are struggling to get the lake’s bacteria levels back to a safe point.
Headlines
Heavy rains caused sewage overflows in La Joya, Texas. The mayor warned citizens that the wastewater system could not hold against the heavy rains to come, but many did not listen. Thousands of dollars in damage was done to homes and property after sewage seeped into houses following the rain.
The wastewater treatment plant in Centerville, Iowa had to be shut down after heavy rains pounded the town. Officials are worried that some of the water went untreated, and that there could be contaminated drinking water going into people’s homes.
In Los Angeles, at least part of a busy hospital in east Hollywood was temporarily without water today due to a water main break. Traffic was also affected by the break and affected the afternoon commute.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Joliet, Illinois will be building a new sewage line to ease pressure on their wastewater treatment plant. The plan costs an estimated $15 million dollars and is being paid for by low-interest loans provided by the stimulus package.
Sewer Rate News
Kiowa, Kansas
Newbern, Tennessee
Traver, California
San Ramon, California
Stayton, Oregon
July 13, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Sewer Pipe Leak Leads to Effluent Discharge into Sonoma Creek
A leaking sewage pipe is dumping untreated effluent into the Sonoma Creek in Sonoma, California. The leak may have been active for 12 hours before it was discovered; if so, the leak was dumping unimpeded at a rate of more than 100 gallons of sewage per minute into the creek.
Headlines
Officials in Nortonville, Kentucky are trying to figure out how to pay back a nearly three million dollar loan. In 2005, the city built a waste water plant using a loan from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. That loan was supposed to be paid back within one year of the plant’s completion, but still $2.8 million is owed.
The second leaking water pipe in a week has been discovered in Rockville, Maryland. It was reported in yesterday’s update that a water main was leaking, but it has finally burst. The 24 inch main is the second to break in a week and will extend the duration of water restrictions for Rockville residents.
A power outage in Shreveport, Louisiana over the weekend led to a hydraulic surge in the sewer line causing serious problems. Sewage is leaking into Lake Champion at a rate of 2,000 gallons a minute. The leak has been going since early Monday morning.
Stimulus Spotlight
A Groundbreaking was held for the Scott County Otter House Water Project in Hiltons, Virginia. The Tri-Cities area was awarded $2.25 million by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to entirely cover the cost of the project.
Sewer Rate News
Anderson, Indiana
Aurora, Oregon
Belmont, California
Birmingham, Alabama
July 12, 2010
Monday’s Water News: U.S., Mexico Argue Over Sewage Spill Cleanup
Agencies continue to shirk responsibility for a sewage spill near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, California. Over 2.1 million gallons of Mexican sewage leaked into the Tijuana River Valley following a breakdown at several U.S. waste treatment facilities. Agencies have responded by dodging responsibility because of jurisdictional questions.
Headlines
A pair of water main breaks in Fairfield County, Connecticut has disrupted service to about 1,000 customers in the towns of Westport, Fairfield, Weston and Wilton.
Officials in Rockville, Maryland have finally lifted a water restrictions for residents. After a 24-inch water main ruptured last week, the city asked residents to limit their water use, but on Friday another leak was discovered that continued the restriction through the weekend.
Stimulus Spotlight
Fort Smith, Arkansas has received $77 million in economic stimulus funding for new construction projects. Of this sum, $7.5 million has been allocated for laying 12.5 miles of new water piping that will improve service to over 29,000 residents.
In California, the Napa Sanitation district has received $7.3 million in economic stimulus funds to undertake water recycling projects throughout Napa Valley. The construction work must commence before September 30 or the funds will no longer be available.
Sewer Rate News
Evansville, Indiana
Prairieville, Louisiana
Seattle, Washington
Whittier, California
July 7, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Water Restrictions for DC Suburbs Lifted
Water restrictions have been lifted in the Washington, DC suburbs of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Approximately 1.8 million residents of the two Maryland counties were restricted to minimal water use after an 8-foot wide water main nearly broke last week.
Headlines
Water damage caused a sinkhole in the St. Louis suburb of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri that swallowed an SUV. The woman driving the SUV was able to climb out and was not hurt.
A 16-inch water main broke in Atlanta, Georgia early Tuesday morning. Work crews were forced to close a major road, creating more traffic delays. Construction will not be completed until Thursday according to officials.
A water pump failure has left some residents in Shelton, Connecticut without water service. Increased water demand from the high temperatures overwhelmed the water pump and caused the failure.
Stimulus Spotlight
Stimulus funds have been disbursed to Bismark, North Dakota for water project aid. McKenzie county received $2.2 million to broaden water distribution to residential areas. Also, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation received $1.62 million for water projects.
Sewer Rate News
Bossier City, Louisana
Jefferson City, Missouri
Livermore Falls, Maine
Palm Springs, California
Port Orchard, Washington
June 30, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Millions of Gallons of Sewage Pours into Mississippi River
A wastewater pump in St. Louis failed, allowing millions of gallons of sewage to spill directly into the Mississippi River. City officials have fixed the pump and claim the drinking water is safe. However, state EPA officials were notified late and are still investigating the situation.
Headlines
A hot springs Resort in Ukiah, Oregon has been fined over $500,000 due to sewage violations over the last ten years. Officials say the resort had been operating illegal sewage lagoons and failing to treat its wastewater properly. The resulting sewage was leaking into nearby creeks and contaminating the water.
Some 60,000 vehicles that would normally take Hoosick Street in Troy, New York are being detoured today, and for the next several days, as the city fixes the apparent water main break that flooded the streets on Tuesday evening.
A restraining order has been issues to stop a condo project, in Lake Ozark, Missouri from dumping sewer sludge into the Lake of the Ozarks. Inspections by the state Department of Natural Resources showed the wastewater treatment system was not operating properly allowing sludge and visible solids to pass through to the Lake.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the economic stimulus package, residents of the 14th Ward in Chicago, Illinois are going to have new pipes installed underneath the city to help wastewater flow. The new pipes will cost $2.4 million and will be replacing pipes from 1910.
Sewer Rate News
Benton, Illinois
Bossier City, Louisiana
Clayton, North Carolina
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Morestown, New Jersey
June 16, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Chronic Sewage Overflows in Dogtown (Mo.)
Wastewater flooded basements in Dogtown, Missouri for the fourth time in two months and the affected residents are fed up. Every time a storm occurs, they complain, the sewage system can’t handle the additional wastewater. City officials are working on the issue, but have limited resources at hand to deal with the problem.
Headlines
Street flooding was unavoidable and pumping sewage into creeks and rivers was needed when heavy rains hit Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Tuesday afternoon. Officials states that any sewage in the water was diluted.
Residents are furious in Bucyrus, Ohio over chronic sewage overflows in their town. Recent rains led to almost four feet of wastewater pouring into residents’ basements. One resident is so angry he is filing a claim to the EPA for assistance with the damages to his home.
In Atlanta, raw sewage has spilled into Rock Creek and some residents have even had it spill into their backyards. Because the sewer line borders the city of Atlanta and Dekalb County, there is a dispute over which government entity is responsible for fixing the problem.
Stimulus Spotlight
A city school in Hobson City, Alabama will receive $42,000 in economic stimulus money to update its aging water infrastructure as part of a project to establish a Head Start program in the small community.
Ivins , Utah will receive a $5 million low-interest loan funded via the economic stimulus to improve its stormwater system.
Sewer Rate News
Bossier City, Louisiana
Orangetown, Virginia
Richmond, California
Wichita, Kansas
June 9, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Main Break Floods County Building, Causes $10M in Damages
After a broken water main in Dallas, Texas flooded the Dallas County Records building on Memorial Day night, the county is still assessing the damage and the cost. The repair costs for the building are currently $10 million and are expected to go higher. Insurance will cover most of the damage but taxpayers are still on the hook for the $1 million deductible.
Headlines
A ten inch rupture in the main sewer line caused 100,000 gallons of sewage to pour into Williamson Creek in Austin, Texas. Officials are warning residents to avoid the pond until it can be cleaned.
Members of the Fall River, Massachusetts City Council had a heated exchange yesterday over stormwater fees and rising sewer rates. Sewer rates have doubled in Fall River to help pay off a $3 million sewer deficit.
Aging and damaged sewers in places like Chattanooga, Tennessee are threatening access to clean water.
In Holyoke, Massachusetts, part of Hampden Street will likely be closed for much of the day due to a water main break. Residents in that immediate area may have temporarily lost their water, the break has also caused a large hole and collapsed pavement on the street.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the economic stimulus package, the city of Newburyport, Massachusetts is getting a new wastewater treatment facility, replacing an aged and outdated plant.
Sewer Rate News
Albany, New York
Belen, New Mexico
Bossier City, Louisiana
Roanoke, Virginia
Wilsonville, Oregon
May 7, 2010
Friday’s Water News: D.C. Planning Massive Tunnels to Reduce Combined Sewer Overflows
The District of Columbia is planning to build the first of three massive underground tunnels in 2011 to reduce combined sewer overflows during wet weather events. The first tunnel will run along the Anacostia River, which suffers the greatest amount of overflows. Each of the tunnels will be approximately 24 feet in diameter, but the Anacostia tunnel-at 13 miles in length-will be the longest.
Headlines
Officials in Bossier Parish, Louisiana plan to spend about $50 million over the next few years building the its first sewer plant. Most of Bossier Parish, like other parishes in northwest Louisiana, has no public sewer system.
Despite $160 million in economic stimulus funding for state water projects, some in California have criticized the program for not doing enough to help communities with the most contaminated drinking water because their projects were not shovel-ready.
Stimulus Spotlight
In New York, a $10.35 million project to bring municipal water to about 600 properties in the towns of Louisville and Norfolk could break ground this summer. Funding for the project will include a $6.79 million grant from the economic stimulus and a $3.5 million loan from USDA.
A $550,000 grant from the economic stimulus has helped connect a mobile home community in Mecca, California to the Coachella Valley Water District’s Water system.
Sewer Rate News
Carson City, Nevada
Durham, North Carolina
Peoria, Arizona
Portland, Oregon
April 21, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Wichita Falls Works on Drainage Following Wet Weather Events
Wichita Falls, Texas has two projects underway to help with the drainage of stormwater during periods of heavy rain. In the past, heavy rains have created flooding problems and hazardous conditions for motorists. Despite these two projects the city has a lot of work left to do as it has identified about 60 other problem spots that need drainage help.
Headlines
Some Los Angeles residents are complaining that the city is dragging its feet in paying them for damages suffered last fall when a 62-inch water pipe burst and sent hundreds of thousands of gallons of water pouring into homes.
A clogged sewer line in Kansas City has led to thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater spilling into the Blue River.
Tight budgets and falling revenues are prompting municipalities across the country to consider selling their water and sewer systems to private companies, according to USA Today.
Stimulus Spotlight
With work well underway on this year’s series of water and sewer main upgrades in Harbor Springs, Michigan, the city council has agreed to sell $1.755 million in “Build America Bonds” provided under the economic stimulus to finance the projects.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has targeted $3.7 million for the city of West Monroe’s Sparta Reuse project in a supplemental appropriations request. The project will cost more than $10 million and is being partially funded with $4.75 million from the economic stimulus.
Sewer Rate News
Bakersfield, California
Laguna Beach, California
Lockport, Illinois
Mount Vernon, Ohio
