August 10, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Water Service Restored to 10,000 Homes in Suburban Baltimore
Water service was restored this morning for up to 10,0000 homes and businesses after a water main break in Essex, Maryland. The 12-inch main which broke is 80 years old and has had multiple breaks over the past year.
Headlines
Chattanooga (Tenn.) and the Moccasin Bend Sewage Treatment Plant are facing state sanctions for the spill Thursday and Friday of more than 100,000 gallons of raw sewage that swamped a marina and killed 3,600 fish.
Monday environmental, business, and civic leaders urged Congress to fund solutions for the sewage crisis in the Great Lakes region. Every year billions of gallons of untreated sewage is dumped into the Great Lakes.
Stimulus Spotlight
The Ohio Water Development Authority plans to sell $423 million in Build America Bonds tomorrow in the agency’s largest offering of the taxable debt. Proceeds from this week’s sale will reimburse the authority for about $148 million already loaned for environmental infrastructure in the state and fund further lending. Build America Bonds were created as part of the economic stimulus.
Many government agencies are close to wrapping up their federal stimulus initiatives, but a large number of communities are still waiting in line for funding or struggling to pay for costly water and sewer projects, according to United States Department of Agriculture officials.
Sewer Rate News
DeSoto County, Mississippi
Hamilton, New Jersey
Oswego, New York
Polk City, Florida
June 25, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Sewer Upgades for Florida Keys Need More Funding
Despite Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s (I) authorization this month of as much as $200 million for a long-term effort to provide upgraded sewer systems for the Florida Keys, the prospects are poor for funding in total the estimated $937-million project.
Headlines
John Hosch of Cartersville, Georgia is suing the state of West Virginia for not building proper wastewater facilities to live up to the Clean Water Act. Hosch ran into problems when he sold lots of a residential plan he was developing and was then denied a permit to build a sewage system. This denial was due to a lack of proper wastewater treatment facilities. The buyers of the lots sued him, so he, in turn, has sued the state.
Contaminants like e-coli are believed to be in Wilkinson Creek after sewage leaks in Bradley County, Tennessee. Officials are looking into the problem and will determine the cause and cost of fixing it.
After heavy rains, basements in Chicago, Illinois were flooded with raw sewage. The rains overran the septic system of the city, and residents are being forced to clean up the mess left behind.
Stimulus Spotlight
An upsurge in stimulus water projects will begin this summer. Last year, there were 129 projects provided by the stimulus, this year, that number skyrockets to 2,800. Considering state needs for waste and drinking water infrastructure are above $500 billion, the increase is a necessity for overwhelmed state and local budgets.
States and local governments are slashing spending on infrastructure projects so fast that even federal stimulus money hasn’t filled in the gap. Investment in infrastructure is on pace to drop almost 7% this year to $269 billion, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal data. That would be the first decline in state and local construction spending since the Census Bureau started tracking in 1993.
Sewer Rate News
Marion Township, Michigan
Rochester, New York
South Bend, Indiana
Taylorsville, North Carolina
Vigo County, Indiana
June 3, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Congress Moves Ahead on Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Legislation
There were a couple of legislative items from last week of importance to the water and wastewater infrastructure.
First, the House has passed H.R. 4213, a legislative package of tax extensions which contains a provision that would exempt bonds that finance water and sewer furnishing facilities from state private-activity bond volume caps. The next step for the legislation is the Senate which may take up the legislation went it returns on June 7.
Second, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has passed the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act (H.R. 5320) which would reauthorize and increase funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The next step for the bill is House consideration of the legislation.
Headlines
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has responded to a federal request to clean up the Chicago River by telling federal officials to “Go swim in the Potomac.” Daley said the federal government could help clean up the river by helping pay for the completion of the Deep Tunnel project designed to hold water during heavy rains so waste doesn’t pour into the body of water.
A pre-dawn break of a 79 year-old water main in Northeast Washington, D.C. on Wednesday created a hellish traffic mess throughout the day on a street that has heavy traffic even on the best of days.
A water main break yesterday in Tuscon, Arizona disrupted service to 500 area customers.
Stimulus Spotlight
With help from the stimulus package, residents in Elk Point, South Dakota have seen the construction of a new water main and sanitary sewer in their town. With some of the system being 100 years old, residents are grateful that this is being done.
Sewer Rate News
Huron, Ohio
Wichita, Kansas
Manchester, Connecticut
Charleston, West Virginia
May 20, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Tax Extenders Bill Has Good News for Water Infrastructure
Today, Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, released an agreement on a “Tax Extenders” bill (H.R. 4213) which includes a provision that would exempt water and wastewater projects funded via private activity bonds (PAB) from the state volume cap.
The Senate Finance Committee estimates the PAB provision will cost $372 million over 10 years, and is identical to the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act (S. 3262) introduced several weeks ago by Sen. Menendez (D-N.J.). A summary of H.R. 4213, the “Tax Extenders” bill, can be found here.
Headlines
Oak Lawn, Illinois will use a $40 million loan from the state’s EPA to jump-start its water distribution system upgrade. The total cost of the project that would modernize the waterworks and increase its pumping capacity is between $100 million and $200 million.
Work crews in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey worked Wednesday night to repair a large sinkhole on State Route 17 created by a water main break.
Stimulus Spotlight
In New Mexico, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority has started a $30 million irrigation project will add new pipeline to pump treated wastewater to parks, fields and other recreational areas. A portion of the project is funded through the economic stimulus.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has announced his state has been rated first in the nation in using federal stimulus money for wastewater improvement projects.
Sewer Rate News
Centerville, Georgia
Granville, Ohio
Hickory, North Carolina
Portland, Oregon
May 13, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Drinking Water SRF
The House Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing today on reauthorization of EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The hearing follows the introduction of legislation this week by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass) to reauthorize the program.
Headlines
Engineers have identified as many as 100 other couplings similar to the one that ruptured earlier this month in the Boston area triggering a water-main break that left 2 million residents without safe drinking water for 2 days.
A sewer main line break in Grandview, Washington spilled an estimated 300,000 gallons of wastewater into the Sand Canyon water drain and was expected to reach the Yakima River. As a result, a health alert has been issued advising people not to swim in the river or drink untreated water from it.
Stimulus Spotlight
Construction is underway on a $38 million project to replace the outdated sewer system in Framingham, Massachusetts thanks in part to the economic stimulus. The stimulus is providing $4.46 million in grants with the rest of the $38 million project being funded by a low-interest loan through the state revolving fund.
In Hawaii, construction work has finished on a $3.5 million economic stimulus project in Kauai County to improve the reliability of water service in an area that has suffered from frequent water main breaks.
About 10 percent of the Union-Rome Township Sewer District (Ohio) relining project is completed. The $3.9 million project is expected to be completed by February 2011 and was financed in part by economic stimulus money with the other half from a low-interest loan from the Ohio EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund.
Sewer Rate News
Belmont, California
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Palm Springs, California
Winchester, Virginia
May 12, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Daytona Beach Traffic and Water Service Disrutped By Water Main Break
A water main break in Daytona Beach, Florida has caused a giant car-sized hole in the middle of one of the city’s busiest roads. Water was still gushing out of the of the pipe and onto the road this afternoon because the 50 year-old pipe is so old, the valves don’t work anymore, and crews can’t turn the water off to fix the pipe.
Headlines
Individual septic systems in Wolf Creek, Montana are slated to be replaced with a $3 million community wastewater treatment facility to better protect the small town’s drinking water. Funding for the project includes a $1.16 million grant and $3999,000 loan from USDA. Those funds will be used in conjunction with a $750,000 grant from the Treasurer State Endowment Fund; $100,000 from the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; and $529,000 from WRDA.
Milton, Indiana will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for a new $3.7 million wastewater treatment project that will install sewer lines, a pump station and a 6.5 mile force main. Milton won a $1 million grant from the state’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs to help pay for the project.
A recent study by Lux Research suggests the market for harnessing energy from wastewater sludge will almost double over the next decade.
Stimulus Spotlight
Oronoko Township, Michigan is considering a $5.98 million sewer project that would be partially funded by the Build America Bond program in the economic stimulus.
Sewer Rate News
Brooktrails, California
Pima, Arizona
St. Marys, Georgia
Vacaville, California
May 10, 2010
Monday’s Water News: NW Indiana Wastewater Plants Have Frequently Violated EPA Permits
Municipal wastewater treatment plants — not big industry — are the most frequent violators of major wastewater permits in Northwest Indiana, according to a Post-Tribune analysis of violations in a new EPA database. The Hammond Sanitary District was the most frequent violator with 31 violations between 2007 and April 2010.
Headlines
A little more than a week after a water main break disrupted service to 2 million Boston-area residents, the Boston Globe examined the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 3202). Although the legislation would establish a trust fund for water and wastewater infrastructure projects, soda and bottled water companies oppose the legislation because of a proposed 4 cents-per-bottle tax on bottled beverages to generate revenue for the trust fund.
Iowa Senator Charles Grassley announced that USDA has awarded a loan and grant to the Town of Chariton through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.
Two years into its 18-year, $240 million plan to reduce sewer overflows, Fort Wayne, Indiana already was able to remove 1 billion gallons of contaminated water from the rivers in 2009.
Stimulus Spotlight
Funding from the economic stimulus is helping to build a ground water treatment system at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Richland Washington.
Sewer Rate News
Forsyth County, North Carolina
Isle of Wright, New York
Syracuse, New York
May 3, 2010
Monday’s Water News: 2 Million Massachusetts Residents Without Water After Main Rupture
2 million residents of Boston and 29 of its most populous suburbs, whose clean-water supply was cut off by a catastrophic rupture of a water main break on Saturday, remained without clean tap water for a second day yesterday. The break was so bad that Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency.
State officials have urged residents to take seriously an order to boil all water used for drinking and cooking. The leak was reported Saturday morning in the town of Weston, 10 miles west of Boston. At the height of the breach, the pipe was leaking water into the nearby Charles River at a rate of 8 million gallons per hour.
Headlines
A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would remove state volume caps on private activity bonds for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The Sustainable Water Infrastructure Act (S. 3262) is the companion bill to H.R. 537 which was passed in the House in March as part of the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act (H.R. 4849).
Construction is expected to begin soon on a wastewater treatment plant in Glennwood Springs, Colorado with the completion date expected for the spring of 2012.
Stimulus Spotlight
The city of Ogdensburg, New York has started the $1.17 million overhaul of a wastewater plant that when completed will save 40 percent of annual energy costs. The project is being funded in part by $1 million in economic stimulus money administered through the state’s Green Innovation program.
Thanks to the economic stimulus, construction of the first phase of a Roseau, Minnesota, flood control diversion channel will begin this year after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a contract for the work.
Sewer Rate News
Chesterton, Indiana
Forrest, Illinois
Grand Ledge, Michigan
North Muskegon, Michigan
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
April 12, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Milwaukee Proposes Over $13M for Sewer Upgrades
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s deep tunnels would be drained more quickly after a rain storm, providing more wastewater storage space for the next downpour, under a proposed $13.67 million upgrade of three aging pumps.
Headlines
In an opinion piece on the New York Times website yesterday asked several experts how the nation can begin to address the prevalent risks of chemicals in drinking water given the overwhelming financial costs?
Technicians in Englewood, Colorado are testing an ultraviolet light system as part of a pilot program to upgrade and improve the disinfecting process at the its wastewater treatment plant.
Stimulus Spotlight
Fort Smith, Arkansas is receiving $4.38 million in economic stimulus funds to repair its 50 year-old water and sewer systems. Almost no aspect of the systems meets current codes.
Nearly $4.8 million in federal stimulus and state no-interest loan funds for drinking water and wastewater projects has been provided to Meigs County by the Ohio EPA.
Sewer Rate News
Kingston, Massachusetts
Lockport, Illinois
Riverbank, California
Spring Hill, Tennessee
