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 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
July 21, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Officials in Shreveport Struggle to Clean up Champion Lake
After a 9 million gallons of sewage spilled into Champion Lake due to a burst wastewater line, officials in Shreveport, Louisiana, went straight to work two weeks ago to clean up the mess. However, cleanup is taking longer than expected and officials are struggling to get the lake’s bacteria levels back to a safe point.
Headlines
Heavy rains caused sewage overflows in La Joya, Texas. The mayor warned citizens that the wastewater system could not hold against the heavy rains to come, but many did not listen. Thousands of dollars in damage was done to homes and property after sewage seeped into houses following the rain.
The wastewater treatment plant in Centerville, Iowa had to be shut down after heavy rains pounded the town. Officials are worried that some of the water went untreated, and that there could be contaminated drinking water going into people’s homes.
In Los Angeles, at least part of a busy hospital in east Hollywood was temporarily without water today due to a water main break. Traffic was also affected by the break and affected the afternoon commute.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Joliet, Illinois will be building a new sewage line to ease pressure on their wastewater treatment plant. The plan costs an estimated $15 million dollars and is being paid for by low-interest loans provided by the stimulus package.
Sewer Rate News
Kiowa, Kansas
Newbern, Tennessee
Traver, California
San Ramon, California
Stayton, Oregon
July 14, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: 42,000 Gallons of Sewage Spills in Oakland, West Virginia
A pump station failure in Oakland, West Virginia caused 42,000 gallons of sewage leaks near local Deep Creek Lake. The cause of the failure is unknown and officials have blocked off any area that could have possibly been contaminated until further notice. Deep Creek Lake is currently being tested for contamination as well.
Headlines
Heavy rains cause a raw sewage overflow into Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio. Officials have warned that citizens should not swim at nearby Edgewater Beach until further notice. The overflow occurred because Cleveland’s wastewater system was overtaxed during the rains.
A Children’s Center in Oklahoma, City, Oklahoma is facing costs estimated at $100,000 dollars after heavy rains in the city caused sewage overflows. The wastewater system could not handle the rain, and sewage spewed into the center, causing damage.
A sewer main break in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida has caused officials to warn residents to avoid using the water in the area, even for drinking, until the problem is fixed.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the economic stimulus package, the island of Kauai in Hawaii is doubling the capacity of its wastewater plant. The $7.4 million dollar project will help the island deal with its wastewater problems.
Sewer Rate News
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Lawrence, Kansas
St. Mary’s Georgia
Warrenton, Oregon
July 13, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Sewer Pipe Leak Leads to Effluent Discharge into Sonoma Creek
A leaking sewage pipe is dumping untreated effluent into the Sonoma Creek in Sonoma, California. The leak may have been active for 12 hours before it was discovered; if so, the leak was dumping unimpeded at a rate of more than 100 gallons of sewage per minute into the creek.
Headlines
Officials in Nortonville, Kentucky are trying to figure out how to pay back a nearly three million dollar loan. In 2005, the city built a waste water plant using a loan from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. That loan was supposed to be paid back within one year of the plant’s completion, but still $2.8 million is owed.
The second leaking water pipe in a week has been discovered in Rockville, Maryland. It was reported in yesterday’s update that a water main was leaking, but it has finally burst. The 24 inch main is the second to break in a week and will extend the duration of water restrictions for Rockville residents.
A power outage in Shreveport, Louisiana over the weekend led to a hydraulic surge in the sewer line causing serious problems. Sewage is leaking into Lake Champion at a rate of 2,000 gallons a minute. The leak has been going since early Monday morning.
Stimulus Spotlight
A Groundbreaking was held for the Scott County Otter House Water Project in Hiltons, Virginia. The Tri-Cities area was awarded $2.25 million by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to entirely cover the cost of the project.
Sewer Rate News
Anderson, Indiana
Aurora, Oregon
Belmont, California
Birmingham, Alabama
July 8, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Water Main Break Causes Geyser in Rockville, Maryland
A broken water main shot water dozens of feet into the air on Wednesday in Rockville, Maryland. The 24-inch water main broke at about 3:30 p.m. but the water stopped flowing at about 10 p.m. Water restrictions are in effect for the area until Saturday.
Headlines
The city council of Rhinelander, Wisconsin met with lawyers to determine their next step if they are sued over recent sewage overflows. The spills occurred in about 60 homes after heavy rains and it is still unclear as to how many residents are considering legal action.
The overtaxed sewage system in Edgartown, Massachusetts overflowed into several locations recently. Heavy use caused the nearby wastewater treatment plant to shut down. The sewage leaked into nearby homes and even the local social club, the Boathouse.
Residents of Minot, North Dakota are considering suing the City of Minot over recent sewage overflows. Heavy rains caused the wastewater system to back up and pour raw sewage into people’s homes. The citizens blame the city for not updating an aging wastewater system.
Stimulus Spotlight
$21.3 million dollars of sewer upgrades are underway in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Funding for the project includes $14.8 million in low interest loans and a $3 million dollar grant, both of which have been provided by the stimulus package.
Thanks to the stimulus package many sewer lines in Oregon City, Oregon are being replaced. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA is providing $900,000 for the $2 million project.
Sewer Rate News
Irving, Texas
Jackson, Mississippi
Rainier, Washington
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
June 30, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Millions of Gallons of Sewage Pours into Mississippi River
A wastewater pump in St. Louis failed, allowing millions of gallons of sewage to spill directly into the Mississippi River. City officials have fixed the pump and claim the drinking water is safe. However, state EPA officials were notified late and are still investigating the situation.
Headlines
A hot springs Resort in Ukiah, Oregon has been fined over $500,000 due to sewage violations over the last ten years. Officials say the resort had been operating illegal sewage lagoons and failing to treat its wastewater properly. The resulting sewage was leaking into nearby creeks and contaminating the water.
Some 60,000 vehicles that would normally take Hoosick Street in Troy, New York are being detoured today, and for the next several days, as the city fixes the apparent water main break that flooded the streets on Tuesday evening.
A restraining order has been issues to stop a condo project, in Lake Ozark, Missouri from dumping sewer sludge into the Lake of the Ozarks. Inspections by the state Department of Natural Resources showed the wastewater treatment system was not operating properly allowing sludge and visible solids to pass through to the Lake.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the economic stimulus package, residents of the 14th Ward in Chicago, Illinois are going to have new pipes installed underneath the city to help wastewater flow. The new pipes will cost $2.4 million and will be replacing pipes from 1910.
Sewer Rate News
Benton, Illinois
Bossier City, Louisiana
Clayton, North Carolina
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Morestown, New Jersey
June 28, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Service Restored in Draper, Utah After Water Main Break, Sinkhole
Water has been restored to all residents and businesses in Draper, Utah affected by a water main break but officials warn the water may be a “little brownish or murky colored” at first. It has taken most of the day to repair a water main break and sinkhole extending several feet wide.
Headlines
In California, a sewage spill has rendered part of Orange County’s Aliso Creek Beach inaccessible to the public. Because of health risks, all recreational activities have been prohibited until the Orange County Health Care Agency decides the water is no longer contaminated by sewage.
Several residents in Rhineland, Missouri awoke to find raw sewage had spilled into their homes on Saturday morning. Due to excessive rainfall produced by storms Friday night, a sewer bypass pump failed and allowed overflow of raw sewage into the residential area.
The Williamette Falls Locks at West Linn, Oregon is closed due to a sewage spill at an adjacent property. According to operations crews, a sewer main ruptured over the weekend and allowed raw sewage to leak into one of the locks. The Army Corps of Engineers are assisting with the clean up.
Stimulus Spotlight
The Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington has received an $11.5 million loan in order to finance major upgrades to the sewer system in Bellingham, Washington . Much of the system is 30+ years old, making the construction for renewal of the systems necessary.
Sewer Rate News
Columbia, South Carolina
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Morgan, Utah
Salem, Massachusetts
June 23, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Storms Lead to Water Main Breaks, Flooding on Indian Reservation
After nearly five inches of rainfall in the past few days, an Indian reservation in Great Falls, Montana is faced with severe flooding. Ten different water mains ruptured and broke from the massive quantity of rainwater, leaving widespread flooding and water damage and no drinking water for the tribe’s natives.
Headlines
Kentucky state Rep. Larry Clark is among a bipartisan group of state lawmakers pushing for a Louisville-area pilot program on regionalization of wastewater treatment
Officials in Carroll County, Maryland are asking citizens to watch what they flush after an accumulation of plastics, towels, rubber gloves, and grease backed up sewer lines and resulted in 70,000 gallons of spilled raw sewage. The sewage managed to flow into two separate streams during the overflow.
Sewer Rate News
Astoria, Oregon
Charleston, West Virginia
Fernley, Nevada
Issaquah, Washington
June 17, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Old Main Fails in Seattle Leaving Sinkhole
A break in a water main in a Seattle neighborhood left area residents and businesses without any water for a night, and a big, gaping sinkhole in the middle of a busy street. Seattle Public Utilities says a very old 16-inch pipe, the workhorse of the water system, cracked. The failed main is believed to be at least 90 years old.
Headlines
City officials in Kansas City, Missouri were put on notice by the state Department of Natural Resources after several violations of state law. These included failure to clean up a sewage spill, pollution into a local pond, and the spill itself.
A temporary fix for sewage overflows in Weirton, West Virginia has failed, causing costs estimated at $100,000. The attempt was made to stop the flow of raw wastewater into the Ohio River temporarily. Now officials are working on a long term solution, which is much more costly.
Raw sewage poured out onto a local street in Columbia, South Carolina. The spill was blamed on a grease and grime buildup over an extended period of time. No timeline was given as to when the mess would be cleaned up.
Stimulus Spotlight
Last month, Green Bay, Wisconsin issued an additional $15 million in Build America Bonds as part of the economic stimulus package to pay for more sewer improvements and a parking facility.
Sewer Rate News
Appomattox, Virginia
Bend, Oregon
Fall River, Massachusetts
Richmond, California
