September 1, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Boil Water Advisory Issued for Georgia Community
In Warner Robins, Georgia yesterday, two restaurants, two convenience stores, an elementary school, a small day care center and about 50 residences were without water after an 8-inch water main ruptured.
Headlines
The City of Columbia, South Carolina issued a boil water advisory yesterday after a water main break. The advisory was issued for several apartment complexes which house hundreds of students who attend the University of South Carolina.
About 48,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into a residential lagoon in Redwood City, California last week, nearly 10 times more than city officials initially estimated. The city estimate was revised after crews discovered a pipe had broken underground, sending far more sewage into the water than originally thought.
All three pumps at the a pump station in Cohoes, New York have failed, resulting in 27,100 gallons of raw sewage discharging into the Salt Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River. The cause was a string of rags found in the system.
Stimulus Spotlight
In Massachusetts, permanent financing for a new water plant that will serve Chatham and New Berlin should be secured next month. Plans are to pay for the project through Build America Bonds, a federal stimulus program that will reimburse the commission for 35 percent of its interest expenses. The bonds will be paid off over 30 years.
Sewer Rate News
Colleyville, Texas
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gulfport, Mississippi
San Marcos, Texas
August 18, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Water Main Break Causes Traffic Headaches in Greenville, S.C.
A water main break in Greenville, South Carolina that caused headaches for commuters has been fixed. Right before morning rush hour today, the water main broke below I-385 causing delays for the morning commute. For much of the day, Wednesday, the giant crater caused problems, not only to commuters, but also to residence’s and businesses.
Headlines
In Amarillo, Texas about 80,000 gallons of wastewater leaked from a broken sewage pipeline. The wastewater leak was discovered by city personnel. The pipeline broke because the pump controls at the main pump station in Southeast Park failed and caused a pressure surge in the pipeline.
Rockton, Illinois leaders are speaking out against the Illinois EPA fining the Village for leaking raw sewage into the Rock River.
Residents in Niles, Ohio want to know what the city is doing to stem flooding in the Washington Avenue area during heavy rains.
Stimulus Spotlight
Growth in the Hernando, Florida, which now has a population estimated at 15,000 and growing, is projected to continue, and city officials took steps Tuesday to seek authorization for a $2.3 million-dollar low-interest loan to construct a new water tower adjacent to Interstate 55. The city expects to receive approximately $400,000 in federal stimulus funds, which will cut the actual debt to about $1.7 million.
Sewer Rate News
Ashtabula, Ohio
Milton, Massachusetts
Prescott, Arizona
Winsted, Connecticut
July 15, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Service Finally Restored to Parts of Fairfield County (Conn.)
Water service has been restored for customers in several towns in Fairfield County after a major water main break Monday in Westport. The 2-foot line broke Monday morning, leaving more than 1,000 without water. The situation became so dire, that town officials in Ridgefield declared a water emergency and said residents should use water only to drink or cook with. The 2-foot line broke Monday morning, leaving more than 1,000 without water.
Headlines
A water main break on the West Side of Evansville, Indiana has prompted local officials to issue a precautionary boil advisory for a neighborhood there.
A one-mile stretch of road was closed in Edgefield County, South Carolina after a water main break damaged the road.
New York City has begun to look at the way Philadelphia is addressing its sewer overflow problems in order to get a better handle on its own sewer overflow challenges.
Stimulus Spotlight
The Town of Hotchkiss, Colorado received a $775,000 loan with 100 percent principal forgiveness–thanks to the economic stimulus–to complete a water main project to benefit the local high school.
Sewer Rate News
Honolulu, Hawaii
Marco Island, Florida
Santa Rosa, Florida
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 21, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Storms Lead to 23.6 Million Gallon Sewer Overflow in Milwaukee
In Wisconsin, it was announced on Friday that combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood released an estimated 23.6 million gallons of a sewage and storm water mix to local rivers and Lake Michigan after an intense rain storm on June 15.
Headlines
Twenty million gallons of sewage spilled into the Biscayne Bay on Saturday in Miami, Florida. A 72-inch sewer pipe burst and deposited raw sewage into the bay.
Officials have issued a boil order for portions of East Chicago, Indiana after a water main break early Monday. The water main break also created a sink hole that swallowed up a car that was parked on the street.
Stimulus Spotlight
Nekoosa, Wisconsin is set to receive more than $3 million in federal funds for wastewater treatment improvements from the economic stimulus. The $2.47 million loan and a $607,000 grant will help with upgrades to Nekoosa’s treatment plant and associated infrastructure.
A stimulus loan and grant will finance water and wastewater upgrades in Freeport, South Carolina. Freeport will receive a $1.35 million loan and a $1.17 million grant to finance the upgrades apportioned by the ARRA.
Sewer Rate News
Farmington, Michigan
Georgetown, Delaware
Malden, Massachusetts
Waterloo, Iowa
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
June 11, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Tens of Millions of Gallons of Sewage Leaks in Kansas City
A clean-up has finally begun in Kansas City, Missouri. It is estimated that three years of sewage spills have accumulated to a staggering amount. Tens of millions of gallons of sewage has been spilling, and neither city nor state officials have attempted to clean up until now.
Headlines
In Lafayette, Indiana, it has taken two years to complete the first phase of a massive underground tunnel, meant to help eliminate combined sewage overflow into the Wabash River. The project is part of a 20-year plan to improve its sewer system.
Five thousand gallons of sewage leaked into the Saluda River in Columbia, South Carolina. A line blockage is believed to have caused the spill. State officials are attempting to stop the leak and clean up the mess.
Residents in Barrington, Illinois are demanding the village do something to address flooding that occurs doing periods of heavy rain. The village recently repaired pipes and relined a sewer in an area affected by flooding, but despite the improvements, flooding has continued.
Stimulus Spotlight
A bond has been issued in Pittsford, Vermont to build a badly needed wastewater treatment plant. The city floated $2 million dollars in low-interest federal bonds and expects a stimulus package grant to cover the rest of the cost at about $1.8 million dollars.
Alcoa, Tennessee will receive a $1 million grant from the economic stimulus for the construction of two new water storage reservoirs. The overall cost of the project is estimated to be $5.8 million.
Sewer Rate News
Fruitland, Idaho
Greensboro, North Carolina
Groton, Connecticut
Hannibal, Missouri
Lynn, Massachusetts
May 19, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Pennsylvania Communities Seek $6M for Sewer Line Extension
Five communities in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania are seeking $6 million in state and federal grants for a sewer line extension project along State Route 366.
Headlines
The small city of Astoria, Oregon is looking to its state’s Department of Environmental Quality to help in paying for federally mandated work to separate its sanitary and stormwater sewers. It is estimated that $50 million to complete the combined sewer overflow projects.
It had already been reported but it is now official: Kansas City has signed an agreement with the EPA to upgrade its sewer systems at an estimated $2.5 billion over 25 years. Kansas City will also pay a $600,000 civil penalty for Clean Water Act violations.
Stimulus Spotlight
In Illinois, Kane County has received about $17 million in economic stimulus money that officials have decided to earmark for water-related projects. The money is in the form of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds.
Plans for an expansion of Novato Sanitary District (Calif.) water recycling facilities got a boost with the arrival of $1.5 million in federal stimulus money. Novato will use the money to fund a project with the North Marin Water District to help bring the water to Valley Memorial Park Cemetery. The expanded system will have to be finished by August 2011.
Thanks to the Buy America Bond provision in the economic stimulus, the city of Florence, South Carolina has issued $99 million of refunding and new-money revenue bonds for its water and sewer system, saving the city’s utility system more than $5.5 million by refinancing bonds originally issued in 1993 and 2000. The bonds included $31 million of refunding bonds and $68 million of new-money bonds.
Sewer Rate News
China Grove, North Carolina
Harbor Springs, Michigan
St. Albans, West Virginia
Terre Haute, Indiana
May 4, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Ten Foot Pipe is Fixed and Boil Advisory Lifted for Boston
The rupture of a 10-foot water main that left 2 million Massachusetts residents without water has been fixed and the boil water advisory has been lifted. Yesterday, President Obama signed a disaster declaration, clearing the way for federal reimbursement of up to 75 percent of the cost of responding to the crisis. The rupture spilled 265 million gallons of water and pushed enormous amounts of soil into the Charles River.
According to the EPA’s most recent Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment the state of Massachusetts has $6.79 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs. A new state commission, the Water Infrastructure Finance Commission, is hoping to find a way to fix crumbling pipes, older water-filtration plants, and antiquated monitoring equipment. The panel is scheduled to hold its first meeting tomorrow.
Headlines
Officials in Atlanta, Georgia want its consent decree deadline with the federal and state government extended from 2014 to 2029 to give it more time to pay for its $4 billion effort to fix its aging sewers, improve water quality and stop pollution of the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta has one of the highest water billing rates in the nation. Since 2003, the city has tripled water and sewer rates. The city also has a penny-per-dollar sales tax that voters passed in 2004 to help pay for the work.
A new $2.4 million biogas and energy efficiency project at a sewage treatment plant in Washington State will capture methane gas from the treatment process and recycle it as fuel to run equipment at the plant, saving the sewage agency more than $228,000 yearly in utility costs.
Construction should start soon on a project in Clemson, South Carolina that will move water and sewer lines near a railroad overpass. Water and sewer lines below the railroad bridge need to be relocated ahead of road work at the site.
Stimulus Spotlight
The town of Milton, Indiana can begin construction on a new $5 million wastewater collection system. The town will receive $1,.17 million in CDBG funds from the economic stimulus, along with a $616,385 loan and $3,735,000 grant from the SRF program.
Sewer Rate News
Charlottesville, Virginia
Efland, North Carolina
Gloucester, Massachusetts
West Covina, California
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
