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
April 29, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: SW Virginia Community Plans $95M for Water and Sewer Projects
With close to $95 million of water and sewer projects in the pipeline, Washington County, Virginia is embarking on the biggest capital improvement plan in its history. The work will translate into jobs for contractors and better water and sewer service for residents.
Headlines
In Brooklyn, New York, as part of a $175 million, four-year program to reduce combined sewer overflow discharges into the Gowanus Canal, the flushing tunnel is now receiving its second major overhaul in a little over 10 years.
A major waterline in El Paso, Texas which broke earlier this week will be replaced as early as this fall and will cost $1.2 million. the construction will replace about a mile-long stretch of a 24-inch-diameter water main that was installed in 1966 and has broken 22 times over the years.
Construction of a gas well wastewater treatment plant is coming to Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania to treat wastewater from drilling sites for re-use. The wastewater brought to the facility would consist exclusively of flowback and produced waters from gas wells. It would then be treated to meet industry and environmental standards, after which it would be ready to go back to a drilling site for re-use.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the economic stimulus, Mesa Verde National Park (Colo.) is receiving $11.5 million of the $14.6 million it needs to replace five miles of deteriorated waterline.
Sewer Rate News
Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Oelwein, Iowa
Rochester, New Hampshire
Scranton, Pennsylvania
April 23, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Ohio Community Receives CDBG Funds for Wastewater Treatment Plant
Federal funds will soon be coming to Ohio City, Ohio to build a new wastewater treatment plant. $500,000 from the Community Development Block Grant will pick up 20 percent of the approximately $2.5 million cost to complete construction of the project. The rest of the cost will be paid for by village residents by securing a low-interest loan for the outstanding amount which will then be repaid with a sewer surcharge on their monthly bills.
Headlines
A precautionary boil water advisory was issued last night for 225 residents in a Sarasota County, Florida apartment complex after a 2-inch water main break.
Officials in Anderson County, South Carolina must figure out a way to address a $1.3 million in its sewer fund.
In Ohio, Gallia County has reached an agreement with the City of Gallipolis for both phases of the Green Township sewer project has been reached. Phase one of the project will not begin until 2012.
Stimulus Spotlight
North Little Rock, Arkansas will receive $2.8 million from the economic stimulus to install sewer lines for 300 residents currently using septic tanks for wastewater disposal. In addition to the stimulus funding, the USDA is providing a $1 million grant to fund the project.
$8.9 million from the USDA by way of the economic stimulus will allow West Carroll Township, Pennsylvania to build a new water treatment system. The project will include a new plant to replace two obsolete plants, 3 miles of new and replacement pipelines and an intake system to improve water quality and pressure.
Sewer Rate News
Exeter, New Hampshire
King County, Washington
Staunton, Virginia
April 9, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Michigan Community to Spend $1.7M for Water Improvements
The Village of Farwell, Michigan will soon begin two projects to improve their water and wastewater system. The first project, which is being funded through a USDA loan, costs $1.1 million and will replace old 4-inch water mains. The second project, which is being funded through $450,000 in economic stimulus money and $150,000 from the village, will upgrade water services and storm drains.
Headlines
Key Largo, Florida’s sewer commissioners have formally decided to open the door to negotiating a wastewater treatment agreement with the Village of Islamorada. The village’s comprehensive wastewater plan calls for connecting to Key Largo’s system.
A $1.5 million sewer separation project is about to get started in Ford City, Pennsylvania. This is the second phase of a Combined Sewer Overflow project in the borough. The state-mandated project involves construction of new sewer lines separating households’ storm water from the sanitary flow to the wastewater plant and eliminating the discharge of untreated sewage to the river.
Stimulus Spotlight
After months of delays, the Riverview Subdivision sewer project in Marietta, Ohio will begin Monday. The $805,000 project, which will move wastewater, was originally scheduled to begin in November 2009, but because the project is partially funded with stimulus money state officials had to conduct a certain type of environmental review. $400,000 in stimulus money had been awarded for the project. The county will pay for the remainder of the project with a $403,000 loan at 1.5 percent interest for 20 years.
A look at what $870,000 in stimulus money awarded to Middleport, Ohio is doing toward improving the sewer and water situation in the village was taken by Congressman Charlie Wilson. Traveling by van, Wilson and EPA officials, were taken to sites of stimulus-funded projects.
Sewer Rate News
Clinton, Iowa
Exeter, New Hampshire
Ogle County, Illinois
South Plainfield, New Jersey
April 8, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Port Huron (Mich.) Continues Work on Sewer Separation
Worked started this week on one of the final phases of Port Huron, Michigan’s $186 million sewer separation effort. Four areas in the city have not yet had their sewer separated. This monumental task which began in 1988, so far has cost $158 million and reduced storm water and sewage overflow rates by 93 percent.
Headlines
Lake Oswego, Oregon is planning to double the amount of drinking water treated at one of its treatment plants expanding its capacity from 16 million gallons a day to 32 million gallons, with potential to grow even more in the future..
The city of Concord, New Hampshire is replacing filters at a wastewater treatment plant biotower along with the sprinkler system that sends wastewater through the tower to be filtered.
Stimulus Spotlight
Wayne County, Ohio anticipates it will receive $365,000 in stimulus money and a $1.5 million loan for a recently following the recent construction of a new wastewater treatment plant.
A water recycling project in Antioch, California funded by economic stimulus, in addition to zero percent interest loans and state grant funds, is installing a 30,000 foot pipeline to provide recycled water to four city parks, street medians and a golf course.
Sewer Rate News
Houston, Texas
Mauston, Wisconsin
Olive Branch, Mississippi
Pleasanton, California
January 15, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Residents in North Carolina Without Water After Massive Break
Residents of Wrightsville’s north end in North Carolina might be without water as the town’s public works team repairs a water main leak that occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. today. The water main erupted and water ripped through the street sending a foot-high stream of water gushing down the street after the 12-inch main burst.
Headlines
The major water main break is fixed but it will still be a couple days before Overbrook, Kansas is back to normal.The community’s water system started losing pressure Wednesday.Even though everyone in town has water again, a boil advisory remains in effect because of the possibility contaminants could have entered the system.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that communities across rural Alaska will receive $49 million through the Rural Alaska Village Grant Program. The funds will be used to address chronic water quality problems and provide jobs to rural residents. Federal funds will be provided to construct new water treatment plants, bury water mains, build sewer collection mains and decommission old water treatment plants.
A major part of Frederick, Maryland was without water Thursday after a water main ruptured under Willowdale Drive at Key Parkway.
Stimulus Spotlight
Although the project was supported with stimulus money, an additional $105,000 is needed to complete the replacement of wastewater mains along Water Street in Exter, Hew Hampshire. It is anticipated that ARRA funds would pay 50 percent of the total cost, or $350,000, Perry said. So this leaves the town to pick up $350,000 of which $245,000 was approved at the May 2009 Special Town Meeting. The remaining $105,000 still needs to be found.
Sewer Rate News
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Dallas, Texas
Silver Spring Township, Pennsylvania
January 13, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Water Main Break in Cincinnati Floods Parking Garage
Fire crews in Cincinnati, Ohio were sent to a Ninth Street parking garage just before 1:30 a.m. after someone reported water running down the street from the garage entrance. Crews arrived to find a geyser of water coming from a stairwell on the ground floor of the garage, flooding much of the floor. The water was turned off and crews began repairing the line.
Headlines
Traffic was disrupted in Washington, D.C. and at least one District restaurant had to close temporarily after a large water main ruptured, sending water gushing through a heavily traveled downtown intersection.
On Tuesday, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Water and Sewer Authority crews worked on five breaks, each is a 6-inch main. January is usually a busy month for water repair crews. Last January the agency had 74 water main breaks.
Stimulus Spotlight
New economic stimulus money has become available to help the city of Nashua, New Hampshire finish an extensive sewer project, but officials have to scramble to apply for the money. Principal payments on the $250,000 loan from the state Department of Environmental Services would be offset by up to $125,000 of economic stimulus funds.
Construction of a $3.6 million expanded water treatment plant in New Buffalo, Michigan will begin in April, city officials said. A state loan and now recent federal stimulus funds will help keep the project’s interest rate down, say city officials. The stimulus funds will total about $1 million from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Sewer Rate News
Norwalk, Ohio
Keller Township, Michigan
Pecos, Texas
Spring Hope, North Carolina
January 8, 2010
Friday’s Water News: New York Village Needs Money for Upgrades
The village of Clayton, New York will likely will be spending a lot more money on water and sewer services after a new analysis found at least one-fifth of those systems to be in “poor condition.” Mayor Norma Zimmer estimates the village–which has a population of 1,821–would need to raise $132,000 to upgrade aging facilities.
Headlines
A water main has broken in Dearing, Georgia has left dozens of homes and businesses without water. “It’s a major catastrophe for Dearing. You know when you have to call and put it on the radio,” said Sean Kelley, Mayor of Dearing.
Workers in Tempe, Arizona are trying to repair a broken water main that has forced a road to be closed this morning.
In Poway, California, a water main break left nearly 30 homes with water service last night.
Stimulus Spotlight
The utility district in Mars Hill, Maine recently received more than $2.5 million in grant and loan funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for wastewater system upgrades.
Sewer Rate News
El Dorado, California
Exeter, New Hampshire
Kenner, Louisiana
Marshalltown, Iowa
December 4, 2009
Friday’s Water News: City Misses Deadline and Loses Stimulus Funding
EPA has withdrawn $1.1 million in stimulus funding it had originally approved for the city of Niles, Ohio and its new sanitary-sewer overflow facility. The city lost the funding after not meeting the timeline required for the EPA’s permit to install.
Headlines
A broken water main in Elkton, Maryland gave more than 2,000 students at two public schools and Cecil College an unscheduled day off Thursday.
A water main break under the street in Florissant, Missouri sent water and sewage bubbling up into basements early Friday morning.
Stimulus Spotlight
Davenport, California has received $1.6 million from the economic stimulus for construction of a new water treatment plant. The new plant will replace a 25-year-old facility that has been unable to filter water in line with new state standards.
A modest amount of money from the federal stimulus will help ensure a reliable source of drinking water for 21 families in a mobile home park in Rochester, New Hampshire.
Sewer Rate News
Delphos, Ohio
Irving, Texas
Milan, Michigan
Somerton, Arizona
November 18, 2009
Wednesday’s Water News: $1.8 Million Project to Begin in Wilmington, N.C.
Work will begin soon in Wilmington, North Carolina on a $1.8 million project downtown which includes the replacement of sewer and water pipes and storm drains, as well as a new road, sidewalks and traffic signals.
Headlines
The city of Aurora, Ohio has moved one step closer to securing $830,000 in state funds for the cleaning and relining of four water mains. The city’s share for the cost of the project is $800,000 and is expected to take about six months to complete
A water main break in Hackensack, New Jersey flooded a local street washing mud onto the road and causing a 20-foot sinkhole. Approximately 200 people and nearby businesses were affected by the break.
Stimulus Spotlight
Groundbreaking for New Hampshire’s largest stimulus-funded water project began yesterday. The town of Seabrook is receiving $5 million from the economic stimulus for construction of a new drinking water treatment plant.
A Stark County drinking water project and four sewer projects in Wayne, Stark and Portage counties are getting federal stimulus funds and state loans from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Sewer Rate News
Baxter, Minnesota
DeKalb, Alabama
Henderson, Nevada
Kingman, Arizona
San Diego, California
