September 2, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: $25.8M Sewer Repair Project in Charleston, W.V. Moving Forward
A $25.8 million sewer rehabilitation project for Charleston, West Virginia got the needed funding to move forward yesterday after the state Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council voted unanimously to award a low-interest loan to the Charleston Sanitary Board for sewer line upgrades and replacements.
Headlines
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is investigating the release of more than 50,000 gallons of sewage into a creek in the city of Warrensburg. Such discharges have the potential to contaminate lakes and streams, causing serious water quality problems.
Work on an $8 million, 1 million-gallon water tank project at The Highlands, a dining, entertainment and shopping complex in Triadelphia, West Virginia, is expected to begin soon. Funding for the project includes a $6.4 million federal Economic Development Administration grant and a $1.6 million West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council loan.
Stimulus Spotlight
Plans are still under way in Independence, Missouri for the Little Blue Valley Sewer District’s $85.9 million in improvements. The district will use Build America bonds by the end of 2010 to finance the improvements. The bonds, part of the federal economic stimulus effort, aim to reduce the cost of borrowing for state and local government entities.
Flooding on U.S. Highway 101 in Seaside, Oregon is such an important issue that it took the top spot in a list of 65 projects that local officials want to see fixed. The list represents the projects that could be financed with federal stimulus funds or state grants.
Sewer Rate News
Altavista, Virginia
Granville, Ohio
Holbrook, Massachusetts
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
September 1, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Boil Water Advisory Issued for Georgia Community
In Warner Robins, Georgia yesterday, two restaurants, two convenience stores, an elementary school, a small day care center and about 50 residences were without water after an 8-inch water main ruptured.
Headlines
The City of Columbia, South Carolina issued a boil water advisory yesterday after a water main break. The advisory was issued for several apartment complexes which house hundreds of students who attend the University of South Carolina.
About 48,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into a residential lagoon in Redwood City, California last week, nearly 10 times more than city officials initially estimated. The city estimate was revised after crews discovered a pipe had broken underground, sending far more sewage into the water than originally thought.
All three pumps at the a pump station in Cohoes, New York have failed, resulting in 27,100 gallons of raw sewage discharging into the Salt Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River. The cause was a string of rags found in the system.
Stimulus Spotlight
In Massachusetts, permanent financing for a new water plant that will serve Chatham and New Berlin should be secured next month. Plans are to pay for the project through Build America Bonds, a federal stimulus program that will reimburse the commission for 35 percent of its interest expenses. The bonds will be paid off over 30 years.
Sewer Rate News
Colleyville, Texas
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gulfport, Mississippi
San Marcos, Texas
August 18, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Water Main Break Causes Traffic Headaches in Greenville, S.C.
A water main break in Greenville, South Carolina that caused headaches for commuters has been fixed. Right before morning rush hour today, the water main broke below I-385 causing delays for the morning commute. For much of the day, Wednesday, the giant crater caused problems, not only to commuters, but also to residence’s and businesses.
Headlines
In Amarillo, Texas about 80,000 gallons of wastewater leaked from a broken sewage pipeline. The wastewater leak was discovered by city personnel. The pipeline broke because the pump controls at the main pump station in Southeast Park failed and caused a pressure surge in the pipeline.
Rockton, Illinois leaders are speaking out against the Illinois EPA fining the Village for leaking raw sewage into the Rock River.
Residents in Niles, Ohio want to know what the city is doing to stem flooding in the Washington Avenue area during heavy rains.
Stimulus Spotlight
Growth in the Hernando, Florida, which now has a population estimated at 15,000 and growing, is projected to continue, and city officials took steps Tuesday to seek authorization for a $2.3 million-dollar low-interest loan to construct a new water tower adjacent to Interstate 55. The city expects to receive approximately $400,000 in federal stimulus funds, which will cut the actual debt to about $1.7 million.
Sewer Rate News
Ashtabula, Ohio
Milton, Massachusetts
Prescott, Arizona
Winsted, Connecticut
July 30, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Ohio EPA Investigates Milford’s Duck Creek
Ohio’s State Environmental Protection Agency is taking a close look at the town of Milford’s Duck Creek. The creek is a tributary to many others, so the problem is not an isolated one. Residents are reporting untreated or undertreated waste in the river, largely due to an aging wastewater infrastructure that leads to repeated overflows.
Headlines
The Town of Lee’s Summit, Missouri is being charged $60,000 dollars in penalties for sewage overflows in 2008 and 2009. One of these spills amounted to 100,000 gallons of sewage pouring into nearby Prairie Lee Lake.
A $101,000 dollar fine has been issued to the town of North Providence, Rhode Island because the federal Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the local drinking water unsafe.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Cambridge, Massachusetts is receiving $2 million dollar in low interest loans to repair its aging wastewater infrastructure system.
Sewer Rate News
Castleton, Vermont
Granville, Ohio
Macomb Township, Michigan
North Ridgeville, Ohio
Princeton Borough, New Jersey
July 29, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: 2 Billion Gallons of Sewage pours into Milwaukee Lakes and Streams
A massive amount of sewage poured into lakes and streams in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after heavy rains hit the area. It is estimated that 2 billion gallons of sewage spilled during this time. This has been the fourth sewage overflow that the city has seen this year alone.
Headlines
A 14 feet deep, 25 feet long sinkhole has opened up along a St. Louis, Missouri neighborhood. Officials say the street collapsed over a brick sewer line dating back to the 1870′s. An investigation is now underway to see how to properly replace the system.
Heavy rains in Duluth, Minnesota cause sewage overflows in the city. Officials say that more than 5,000 gallons spewed out of the city’s overtaxed stormwater drains in several locations around the city.
A pump failure in Des Moines, Iowa led to sewage overflows amounting to 3,000 gallons. The wastewater flowed directly into the Des Moines River, officials say.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Patten, Maine is getting 120,000 dollars in federal grants to remove contaminated soil and old gasoline tanks from underneath the town. This will make the water much cleaner and safer to drink for Patten residents.
Sewer Rate News
Indianola, Iowa
Middleboro, Massachusetts
Wellsburg, West Virginia
Port Richey, Florida
July 8, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Water Main Break Causes Geyser in Rockville, Maryland
A broken water main shot water dozens of feet into the air on Wednesday in Rockville, Maryland. The 24-inch water main broke at about 3:30 p.m. but the water stopped flowing at about 10 p.m. Water restrictions are in effect for the area until Saturday.
Headlines
The city council of Rhinelander, Wisconsin met with lawyers to determine their next step if they are sued over recent sewage overflows. The spills occurred in about 60 homes after heavy rains and it is still unclear as to how many residents are considering legal action.
The overtaxed sewage system in Edgartown, Massachusetts overflowed into several locations recently. Heavy use caused the nearby wastewater treatment plant to shut down. The sewage leaked into nearby homes and even the local social club, the Boathouse.
Residents of Minot, North Dakota are considering suing the City of Minot over recent sewage overflows. Heavy rains caused the wastewater system to back up and pour raw sewage into people’s homes. The citizens blame the city for not updating an aging wastewater system.
Stimulus Spotlight
$21.3 million dollars of sewer upgrades are underway in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Funding for the project includes $14.8 million in low interest loans and a $3 million dollar grant, both of which have been provided by the stimulus package.
Thanks to the stimulus package many sewer lines in Oregon City, Oregon are being replaced. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA is providing $900,000 for the $2 million project.
Sewer Rate News
Irving, Texas
Jackson, Mississippi
Rainier, Washington
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
July 2, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Corpus Christi, Texas Deals with Perrenial Sewage Overflows
The sewage system in Corpus Christi, Texas has been overrun with heavy rains. This has led to a flooding of city houses and streets. This is not unusual for residents, however, as the sewage system has not been enough to hold back the overflows for a long time. Every year, during expected heavy rains, the system is overloaded and spews out wastewater for the townspeople to deal with.
Headlines
After years of polluting, the Chesapeake Bay has become impaired according to EPA officials. They have devised a plan to reduce the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water by building new wastewater treatment facilities and new drainage systems to limit the amount of sewage put into the bay.
Homes in Steubenville, Ohio have been discharging raw sewage on to the street. The Ohio EPA has been informed by law and are looking in to the situation. The problem may have arisen due to a lack of a proper connection between the homes and the main sewer line.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, residents of Hinsdale, New Hampshire will be getting a new wastewater treatment facility. 687 thousand dollars will be provided in grants from the stimulus package, and the rest will come from loans from the state.
100 thousand dollars of stimulus money is going to help the residents of Stanley, Virginia keep storm water out of their sewage pipes. This water often led to sewage spills in the town and will now be fixed.
Sewer Rate News
Terre Haute, Indiana
North Andover, Massachusetts
Indianola, Iowa
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Allegan, Michigan
July 1, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Missouri Sewer Overflow Woes Continue
It has been a messy week for Missouri’s waters with more than 25 million gallons of raw sewage reported spilled in Kansas City and St. Louis alone. Five of the six incidents have occurred in Kansas City, but the worst incident occurred in St. Louis when two pumps failed and allowed 4.6 million gallons of sewage to leak into the Mississippi River daily for the past week.
Headlines
A water main break closes streets in Boston, Massachusetts. Crews were working to fix the broken 12 inch pipe. The street was cleared of all traffic while clean-up took place.
In Baytown, Texas, the city council sprang to immediate action on Wednesday after a water line collapse. For now, a temporary bypass has been set up but a replacement line will be installed farther from the creek but within the same right of way. The damaged segment will be abandoned.
Sewer Rate News
Allegan, Michigan
Altavista, Virginia
Antioch, California
Danvers, Massachusetts
Front Royal, Virginia
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 28, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Service Restored in Draper, Utah After Water Main Break, Sinkhole
Water has been restored to all residents and businesses in Draper, Utah affected by a water main break but officials warn the water may be a “little brownish or murky colored” at first. It has taken most of the day to repair a water main break and sinkhole extending several feet wide.
Headlines
In California, a sewage spill has rendered part of Orange County’s Aliso Creek Beach inaccessible to the public. Because of health risks, all recreational activities have been prohibited until the Orange County Health Care Agency decides the water is no longer contaminated by sewage.
Several residents in Rhineland, Missouri awoke to find raw sewage had spilled into their homes on Saturday morning. Due to excessive rainfall produced by storms Friday night, a sewer bypass pump failed and allowed overflow of raw sewage into the residential area.
The Williamette Falls Locks at West Linn, Oregon is closed due to a sewage spill at an adjacent property. According to operations crews, a sewer main ruptured over the weekend and allowed raw sewage to leak into one of the locks. The Army Corps of Engineers are assisting with the clean up.
Stimulus Spotlight
The Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington has received an $11.5 million loan in order to finance major upgrades to the sewer system in Bellingham, Washington . Much of the system is 30+ years old, making the construction for renewal of the systems necessary.
Sewer Rate News
Columbia, South Carolina
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Morgan, Utah
Salem, Massachusetts
