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 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 5, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Heavy Rains in Omaha, Nebraska Cause Sewage Spills
After heavy rains hit Omaha, Nebraska, sewage poured into homes across the city. This has been a recurring problem in the city. Officials claim that the cost of making the sewer lines good enough to stop these spills is an estimated $1.6 billion dollars.
Headlines
A broken sewer line in Baltimore, Maryland has caused 10,000 gallons of sewage to pour into nearby Herring Run Stream, which is a tributary to many Baltimore rivers. Officials have warned all residents to avoid contact with any streams or rivers in the area until further notice.
A malfunction in Thompsons Station, Tennessee is causing sewage leaks in the town. The spill is estimated at 800 gallons minute and has yet to be repaired.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Glenburnie, Maryland will be getting a new stormwater and sewage system, as well as some road repairs. The $24 million dollar project is being funded by low interest stimulus loans.
Sewer Rate News
Sacramento, California
Sandusky, Ohio
Talladega, Alabama
Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Orroville, California
July 9, 2010
Friday’s Water News: 700,000 Gallons of Sewage Floods Armarillo, Texas
After heavy rains hit Armarillo, Texas, the wastewater system was overwhelmed. This led to 700,000 gallons of raw sewage to spill out in several locations across town. Local residents and businesses are both dealing with wastewater overflows in their own homes, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is looking into health and safety concerns regarding the spill.
Headlines
The aging sewage treatment plant in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania is on it’s last legs according to officials. The plant is over thirty years old, and will not last much longer. It is now having trouble cleaning wastewater thoroughly, causing health problems. However, the Saltsburg City Council is having trouble coming up with the money to fix it, as it would cost $1.6 million to refurbish the plant and a whopping $2.7 million to replace it.
Residents of Monterey, California will not be able to swim at the local Monterey Municipal Beach due to a 70,000 gallon sewage spill into the nearby stormwater system. The system drains directly into the beach. Citizens will not be allowed to swim in the water until it can be tested for contamination by officials.
Sewage spills out of a manhole in Chico City, California. The leak is believed to have been caused by a system blockage. Some of the sewage spilled directly into the stormwater system, but not enough to cause contamination, according to officials.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Plattsmouth, Nebraska is getting a new sewage system. The stimulus package will provide a $1.2 million grant to help fund the $4 million dollar project.
Sewer Rate News
Terre Haute, Indiana
Campbell County, Virginia
New Albany, Indiana
Northport, Alabama
June 29, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Miami’s Sewers in Need of Repair
Sewer system infrastructure in Miami, Florida is in dire need of repair. The underground piping system is over 40 years old and is reaching the end of its useful life. However, the city lacks the necessary capital to undertake such sweeping renewal of its 13,600 miles of underground piping for water and sewage.
Headlines
A large water main break has buckled part of a road in Evansville, Indiana. The large pipe began gushing early Tuesday morning, but officials are hastily repairing it. Roads near the break were closed while repairs while being made.
A water main break in North Platte, Nebraska flooded a parking lot over the weekend. The pipe had been installed in the 1950′s and has since received no renewal or replacement. The clean-up crews discovered a huge hole in the side of the pipe, posing the notion that similar pipes of that age may be at risk.
Stimulus Spotlight
A series of construction projects are underway in Cape Charles, Virginia including the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant with stimulus money funding most of the project.
The outgoing City Manager in Buchanan, Michigan says her proudest accomplishment was securing federal stimulus dollars for ongoing water and sewer improvements that will save the city about $3 million or about 40 percent of the project’s cost.
Sewer Rate News
Honolulu, Hawaii
Rainier, Washington
Rutland, Vermont
South Bend, Indiana
June 15, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: $2.5 Billion Sewage Problem in Kansas City
The outdated wastewater system in Kansas City, Missouri cannot handle much more pressure. After heavy rains Monday, sewage overwhelmed pump stations and flowed directly into local waterways. City officials have been putting off dealing with the issue directly until recently, when federal penalties forced them to agree to a $2.5 billion investment in wastewater infrastructure.
Headlines
Reports of chronic sewage overflows in Greenbackville, Virginia has led state officials to investigate the matter. A local resident has complained that wastewater overflows have been consistently happening on several roads throughout the county and were being exacerbated by recent storms.
Many residents in a suburban Cincinnati community are still dealing with sewage backing up into their homes after heavy rains. The Metropolitan Sewer District is slow to help the citizens with the clean-up, as they are underfunded and overworked.
Heavy rains in North Platte, Nebraska have overwhelmed its sewer system. Citizens have been advised to limit their water usage to ease the wastewater pressure. City officials claim that the water is not contaminated.
Stimulus Spotlight
Almost $7 million in state and federal money is going to help the residents of Superior, Wisconsin build new sewage and stormwater systems in their town. Half of that money was provided by the stimulus package, the other half by the state.
More than $2 million dollars in stimulus funds has been granted to Minneapolis, Minnesota to help build a smart grid water usage system. The grid is expected to save the city $1.7 million a year.
There is a new sewage treatment plant being built in Snow Hill, North Carolina. The stimulus package is funding $3.7 million in grants toward the facility.
Sewer Rate News
Tucson, Arizona
Seattle, Washington
Vermilion, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Maryland
May 5, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Rash of Water Main Breaks Has L.A. Rethinking its Conservation Policy
Officials in Los Angeles have agreed to consider changes in the city’s water conservation program after experts said it was responsible for 101 water main breaks last summer and fall. According to the report, on days when watering was allowed, water pressure in the pipes dropped. On days when watering wasn’t allowed, pressure increased accelerating the deterioration of old pipes.
Headlines
Some of the 200 residents in Waldo, Wisconsin are upset that required changes to the village’s water treatment facility is going to cost $3.2 million and they’re blaming the Village Board.
Puerto Rico’s water utility must upgrade more than 100 drinking water treatment plants, including some that currently discharge untreated sludge into local waterways, according to a settlement reached with EPA. The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority must also pay a $1 million civil penalty under the consent decree.
Stimulus Spotlight
Work on the final phase of the wastewater facility rehabilitation project in Eagle Nest, Colorado is set to begin early May, with completion of the job expected before September. About $666,000 for the project is coming from the economic stimulus; $200,000 of that money is a 20-year loan.
Henderson, Nebraska will use $600,000 in bonding authority it received from the economic stimulus to complete a large sewer project for its industrial park. The cost of the lift station alone prohibited the city from moving forward on the project before the economic stimulus funding was awarded.
Sewer Rate News
Baltimore, Maryland
Coos Bay, Oregon
Orange, Virginia
Viroqua, Wisconsin
April 22, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Lincoln, Nebraska Estimates $133M Needed for Water System
The city of Lincoln, Nebraska estimates it may need as much as $133 million in improvements over the next 25 years to improve its water distribution system. The city has 45 miles of pipe that is more than 100 years old and 115 miles have been around for 80 to 100 years.
Headlines
In Pennsylvania, the York City Council has voted unanimously to allow its sewer authority to borrow $23 million to complete federally mandated improvements at its wastewater treatment plant. The upgrades are part of a multi-state effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.
To celebrate Earth Day, the USDA had a ground breaking event today for the rehabilitation and construction of a water and sewer system in Stetsonville, Wisconsin. The projects include construction of a full water system and partial replacement of sanitary sewer mains.
Stimulus Spotlight
Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell was in the town of Ridgefield yesterday to tout the $1.4 million in economic stimulus funding that will extend a water line more than 8,000 feet providing potable water to two elementary schools.
Despite some initial confusion, Haldeon, New Jersey is set to begin a $1.9 million sewer line project. For the past 30 years, storm water backups involving deteriorated sewer lines have caused raw sewage to back flush into some homes during heavy rains. Most of the funding for the project will come from a no-interest loan provided by the economic stimulus.
Sewer Rate News
Canton Township, Michigan
Johnston, Iowa
Pilot Rock, Oregon
West Boylston, Massachusetts
April 16, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Kansas City Agrees to $2.5B, 25-Year Plan on Sewers
The City Council in Kansas City voted unanimously yesterday on a proposal to authorize a consent decree with the federal government for a massive, $2.5 billion overhaul of the city’s aging sewer system. The settlement allows a 25-year implementation schedule for the city’s sewer overflow control plan.
Headlines
A road in Cincinnati, Ohio had to be shut down early Friday morning because of a water main break. Reports from the scene indicate the road buckled and water gushed onto the street.
Police in Rensselaer, New York say water service has returned to most of the city, after a water main break Thursday afternoon. A boil water order has also been issued for city residents and a tanker of safe drinking water has been made available for city residents.
Stimulus Spotlight
Delaware Senators Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman have announced the funding of local projects designed to modernizing water quality and public sanitation services in Sussex County. The funding, which comes through ARRA, is expected to provide construction jobs and create infrastructure needed to support community growth. The funding includes a $5,582,000 loan and a $2,999,847 grant.
In West Virginia, Wayne County has requested an additional $2 million bond allocation to help finance water and wastewater upgrades that will provide service to Tri-State Airport. The county will add this to its prior allocation of $3.5 million for the projects.
Sewer Rate News
Greenfield, California
Homer Glen, Illinois
Imperial, Nebraska
King County, Washington
