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
August 16, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Michigan Beach Pollution May Be Coming from Milwaukee’s Sewer System
Michigan officials are warning residents that syringes and other household trash washing onto beaches could be coming from sewer dumps from the flooding in Milwaukee three weeks ago. More than 2 billion gallons of untreated sewage and storm water poured from Milwaukee-area sewers into waterways after torrential rain storms on July 22.
Headlines
In Oregon, the Lebanon City Council has approved issuing up to $6.5 million in Wastewater Revenue Bonds to finance a new wastewater treatment plant and to refinance an existing bond at a lower interest rate. The current treatment plant was constructed in the early 1970s and although it meets the city’s current needs, it is close to capacity and the community is growing.
Crews from Mobile (Ala.) Area Water & Sewer System have repaired a break in a 10-inch water main that caused water pressure and outage problems in west Mobile on Sunday. A lightning strike is thought to be the cause of a split in the line that was estimated to be between 6-and-10 feet long.
Stimulus Spotlight
In an effort to improve the Boonville, Missouri’s public water system, an engineer will examine its infrastructure and identify potential projects. The city received a $45,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as part of federal stimulus funding to hire the engineer.
In California, a $3.2 million pipeline was constructed by the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District with the help of a $600,000 federal stimulus grant. And upon its recent completion, it became the first recycled water project completed with stimulus funds in Southern California.
Sewer Rate News
Jamestown, California
Marco Island, Florida
McCook, Nebraska
Tybee Island, Georgia
August 12, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Drinking Water Service Shut Down for Residents in Ames, Iowa
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
August 9, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Iowa Community Needs Up to $60 Million for Sewer Separation Project
The West Hill sewer separation project in Muscatine, Iowa will take up to a dozen years to complete and will cost between $40 million and $60 million. Muscatine is one of 10 Iowa cities with combined sewer overflows and the EPA has given the city until the end of 2024 to complete the project.
Headlines
The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments will receive a $308,000 state grant to help Detroit integrate green technologies into a combined sewer overflow system. The city is required by the state to capture and treat combined sewer overflow into waterways to meet water quality standards.
Late last week, a ruptured water main turned into a a huge disruption when several downtown Los Angeles businesses were flooded and a street had to be shut down.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to money from the economic stimulus, Olympic National Park in Washington is receiving $3 million dollars for several projects including $810,529 to double the capacity of the sanitary sewer treatment system in the Hoh Rain Forest, which serves the campground, picnic area, visitors’ center and employee housing.
Sewer Rate News
Lewisville, Texas
Monette, Arkansas
New Riegel, Ohio
Somerton, Arizona
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 28, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Pair of Water Main Breaks for Richmond, California
A pair of water main breaks this morning in Richmond, California flooded streets at both a residential neighborhood and business district. The flooding was caused by pressure buildup that causes weak points in the pipe system to break.
Headlines
A sewage spill in the northern district of Savannah, Georgia resulted from a grease blockage in the sanitary sewer collection system. Over 20,000 gallons flowed into the Ogeechee River, making the spill large enough to be classified as a large spill according to the EPA.
In Berea, Virginia, a sinkhole opened dangerously close to Route 17. The sinkhole measured over 10 feet in all directions; it resulted from a drainage pipe failure.
A broken water main buckled the pavement and released over 100,000 gallons of water on Tuesday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri. Initially, officials feared a 36-inch steel pipe had ruptured, but they have verified that it was actually just an 8 inch main. Repairs will last until Friday.
In Lothian, Maryland, 5,000 gallons of untreated wastewater spilled into the Patuxent River. Officials advise residents to refrain from swimming in the area until at next Tuesday.
Stimulus Spotlight
Manistique, Michigan is taking on a massive $8 million water and wastewater infrastructure project which will cover more than 40 blocks. The project is being funded through the economic stimulus via a combination of grants and low-interest loans through USDA.
Sewer Rate News
Kalkaska, Michigan
Peabody, Kansas
Prescott, Arizona
San Mateo, California
July 22, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Water Main Break in White Plains Spews 1 Million Gallons of Water
A 12-inch water main broke early today in downtown White Plains, New York gushing 1 million gallons of water into the streets before officials shut it off. The 41-year-old iron pipe had a least two tears, and will not be fixed before tomorrow. The road will be fixed within three to four days
Headlines
A valve error in Port Ludlow, Washington caused 5,000 gallons of sewage to spill directly into the waterway. The bay has been closed until further notice by officials, who are testing it for contamination. If they do not find any, the bay will be reopened Friday.
The city of Gulf Breeze, Florida has settled a lawsuit over a sewage plant malfunction. The error caused wastewater overflows at the nearby Villa Retirement Community. The suit cost the city $70,000.
New York City is struggling to find ways to deal with its growing sewage issues. The main problem is that the lines underneath the city are extremely old. Some even date back to the 1800′s, officials say.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Ann Arbor, Michigan will be receiving a new water main and sewer system along Seventh Street and West Stadium Boulevard.
Sewer Rate News
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Granville, Ohio
Irving City, Texas
Lodi, California
July 6, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Thompson’s Lake in Albany, New York Closed After Sewage Spill
Popular swimming spot Thompson’s Lake in Albany, New York has been closed until further notice due to a nearby sewage spill. The lake may be contaminated due to the nearby campground pump failure. This happened Sunday night, so tourists who came to the lake to vacation could not swim in the blistering heat on Monday and are expected to not be able to swim until the water is tested on Thursday.
Headlines
A sewage spill closes Little Corona Beach in Orange County, California. It seems that a sewer main break at nearby Newport Coast Drive poured 18,000 gallons of wastewater into Buck Gulch, which flows directly in to Little Corona. Officials are still investigating the cause of the problem.
Heavy rains cause wastewater overflows in Eddyville, Iowa. After a storm, citizens in the town are now dealing with sewage in their houses. The wastewater system could not handle the rain and has caused Eddyville officials to ask for help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ease the pressure on the sewage system.
Raw sewage continues to flow into the Ohio River from about 1,000 homes and businesses in Weirton, West Virginia. This has been an ongoing problem for fifty years, and officials are struggling to fix it. he main problem has been with funding. The city has allocated 130,000 dollars in loans to fix the leaks, but the cost of fixing the spills has been estimated to be between 2-4 million dollars.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, and specifically Build America Bonds, the sewage system in Lansing, Michigan is getting a complete overhaul. The town issued these low interest bonds totaling 20 million dollars to fix problems in sewage as well as mending roadways.
A combination of federal grants and low interest loans is helping the town of Dana, Indiana complete a 6.7 million dollar project for a new wastwater treatment plant, as well as new sewers and lift stations. The lack of a good sewer system has caused a decline in the town’s economy in recent years, and officials are sure that this will strengthen the town’s businesses.
Sewer Rate News
San Mateo, California
Porterdale, Georgia
American Fork, Utah
Garner, North Carolina
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
