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
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 11, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Honolulu to Spend $3.5 Billion on Sewer System Improvements
Honolulu has reached a consent decree agreement with the EPA requiring it to make more than $3.5 billion in improvements to its sewage treatment system by 2020, and also pay a $1.6 million fine to be split between the federal government and the state to resolve violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Hawaii’s water pollution law.
Headlines
The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee’s sewer system has released 510 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Tennessee River over the past five years. Now a nonprofit group is threatening to sue the city to enforce environmental compliance.
In West Virginia, Wellsburg’s City Council is down to three members after five council members quit in a dispute over a proposed sewer rate hike. All five had opposed a plan to raise the city’s sewer rate by 30 percent.
Downpours over the past two nights have overwhelmed Des Moines sewers and sent millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. The city’s taxed sewer network has caused wastewater backups in basements throughout the city, with the heaviest concentrations on the south and east sides.
Stimulus spotlight
In Montana, improvements to Pondera County Canal and Reservoir’s infrastructure has boosted efficiency and improved the water quality of the lower Birch Creek watershed. The project was financed with $527,000 in federal stimulus money and a $366,000 local match to upgrade irrigation infrastructure originally dug by hand and mule in the 1800s.
The city of Cape Girardeau, Missouri received $144,540 from the economic stimulus for engineering reports on the city water and wastewater systems. The funding will enable the city to hire an engineer to study their water system and advise them on how to achieve or maintain compliance with drinking water rules and regulations.
Sewer Rate News
Berryville, Virginia
Granville, Ohio
Warrenton, Virginia
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
August 6, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Sewage Spills Into Whitewater River in Richmond, Indiana
Heavy rains in Richmond, Indiana have led to sewage spills along Whitewater River, contaminating the water. The spill occurred because the rainwater and sewage system became overloaded. Officials have warned residents to avoid contact with the water for 72 hours.
Headlines
80,000 gallons of sewage spills in Blaine, Minnesota. Officials say the old The chlorination system was malfunctioning at the local sewage plant and caused the wastewater to leak.
Residents in Baltimore, Maryland are concerned that sewage leaks are killing local fish at Deep Creek Lake. Approximately 1,000 dead fish have been found floating on the lake and residents are blaming recent wastewater spills.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the residents of Crawford, Nebraska are receiving $4 million dollars in stimulus grants to get a new wastewater treatment plant.
The town of Palisade, Colorado is receiving a total of $7.8 million dollars to build a new sewer plant. The funds are being provided in a $4 million dollar low interest loan and a $3.8 million dollar grant, both provided by the stimulus package.
Sewer Rate News
Toro, California
Northport, Alabama
Northridgeville, Ohio
St. Louis, Missouri
August 4, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Heavy Rains Cause 1,200 Gallons of Sewage a Minute to Spill in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Heavy rains in Sioux Falls, South Dakota have caused 1,200 gallons of sewage per minute to pour into local Big Sioux River. Officials are scrambling to fix the leak and clean up the mess simultaneously. The problem arose after an overtaxed sewage system gave out.
Headlines
Residents in Kansas City, Missouri are complaining about a sinkhole that has opened up at the intersection of 40th Street and Warwick Boulevard. The sinkhole is oozing with sewage and is giving off a pungent odor that bothers citizens.
The town council of Kingston, New York has agreed to pay $293,000 dollars to residents who were affected by a sewer main break in their town. The main broke and flooded the townspeople’s backyards and basements, causing damages.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Southport, New York is getting sewage service extended to other parts of town. The $1.25 million dollar grant is being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Sewer Rate News
Tulare County, California
Los Altos, California
Steamboat City, Georgia
Dibol, Texas
Monette City, Arkansas
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 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 20, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Milwaukee Has Its Largest Sewer Overflow of 2010
Rainstorms in Milwaukee this weekend caused 506 million gallons of untreated wastewater to leak into local streams and Lake Michigan. The storm that caused the overflow produced over 5 inches of rain in just over a single day.
Headlines
A six-inch pipe burst in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday. The pipe ruptured in the early afternoon, causing traffic problems.
A sewage spill into Lake Cornelius resulted in a swimming ban being issued by officials in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. A small treatment facility leaked 375 gallons of sewage into a nearby lake in Davidson, North Carolina.
A four-inch water main ruptured in Narberth, Pennsylvania this afternoon leaving residents of an apartment complex without water. The age of the pipe is the suspected cause of the break.
Stimulus Spotlight
Using stimulus funds, the City of San Francisco is issuing $387 Build America Bonds. The interest on these bonds is covered by federal stimulus funds. The city plans to use the proceeds to fund numerous projects including water infrastructure improvement and repair.
Sewer Rate News
Blue Springs, Missouri
Caledonia, Minnesota
Eagle Lake, Florida
Roosevelt, New Jersey
