12.03.08
Wednesday Headlines: Two Million Gallon Sewage Spill in Delaware
A two million gallon sewage spill in Delaware has closed the Mispillion River from Milford to the Delaware Bay. A major sewer line along state Route 1 north of Milford broke, causing the discharge. The State Water Resources Director county sewage system managers had no choice but to divert sewage into the river. Two food processing plants halted production to help curb the discharge.
Headlines
As part of a pilot program aimed at reducing sewer blockages and overflows and accidental spills, the Raleigh suburb of Cary, North Carolina is encouraging residents to save their cooking oils, fats and grease in sealable containers. According to the town, such refuse contributed to 16 sewer overflows in 2006 and six overflows in 2007.
A water main break this morning flooded an intersection in southeast Rochester, New York. City crews are working in the area today, and dug a large hole to work on the water main.
Two northbound lanes of 50th Street in Tampa, Florida are closed while the city’s Water Department repairs a broken 24-inch water main. Restoration of the road surface is expected to be completed by the end of the week.
A local fitness facility in Norton Shores, Michigan may reopen today after being closed due to a water main break.
Sewer Rate News
Carlsbad, California
Frisco, Texas
Marietta, Ohio
Muncie, Indiana
10.17.08
Friday Headlines: Sinkhole Swallows RV After Sewer Collapses
A large chunk of a street in Cleveland, Ohio collapsed, creating a sinkhole that swallowed the back end of a camper. A spokesperson from the Department of Water said a sewer collapsed, creating a hole that is 15 feet by 15 feet and seven feet deep. (picture courtesy of WEWS-TV)
Headlines
After years of waiting, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has told the city of Wabash, Indiana what it needs to do with regards to its stormwater and sanitary sewers. Mayor Bob Vanlandingham was quick to point out that the work would involve millions of dollars and would almost certainly result in higher sewer bills in the near future to build up funds for the work to be done over the next 20 years.
In Oakland, California, an advisory issued Wednesday after sewage spilled into a harbor was lifted Thursday night when the water was deemed safe.
A water main break has closed a section of state Route 256 in Baltimore, Ohio.
Iowa City, Iowa likely will complete an emergency project to replace sewer lines damaged during the 2008 flood. If the lines are not replaced, they could release sewage directly into the Iowa River. Engineers estimate the project will cost more than $1 million but the city expects FEMA to reimburse 90% of the cost.
Sewer Rate News
Baytown, Texas
Jeffersonville, Kentucky
Russellville, Arkansas
York, Nebraska
10.13.08
Monday Headlines: Lagoon in Long Beach Closed After Sewage Spill
The Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach, California remained closed after a sewage overflow that reached the lagoon. Approximately 1,200 gallons of raw sewage flowed through the storm system and into the lagoon. According to an annual report released in September, Long Beach has the worst water quality in the state.
Headlines
Repairs were made to a sewer line from the Hampton Inn in Coralville, Iowa after a plugged line caused an overflow, according to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources statement.
Some Tampa, Florida residents have been advised to avoid Sweetwater Creek and the area where it flows into Tampa Bay for the next few days, after a broken sewer line dumped about 300,000 gallons into the creek.
City officials in Salem, Oregon say about 100 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Little Pudding Basin this weekend. The overflow was caused by a blocked sewer line.
A portion of Belmont Road in Bettendorf, Iowa was closed Friday afternoon because of a ruptured water main. An estimated 50 homes had water service disrupted because of the break.
Sewer Rate News
Ashland, Pennsylvania
Lake Jackson, Texas
Lowell, Massachusetts
10.09.08
Thursday Headlines: Water Main Break Floods Shopping Mall
The lower floor of a major western Pennsylvania mall is closed while firefighters and other crews work to clean up after an 8-inch water main break flooded at least 30 stores. More than 80 firefighters are using squeegees and pumps to clear out the water at the Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Headlines
A Marin Municipal Water District main broke early Wednesday in Woodacre, California sending a geyser-like flow 50 feet into the air. Water shot in the air unabated for almost 30 minutes, as 4,500 gallons were lost through a hole in a 6-inch line.
There was a raging torrent of water on Wednesday morning in Honolulu after a 24-inch water main break . An area resident said, “looks like one big surf coming through — one big surf. Everything, garbage cans, everything came toward us.”
The new water pre-treatment plant in Waco, Texas will cost about 39 million dollars and pull the plug on the problem with the city’s tap water.
Sewer Rate News
Brockton, Massachusetts
Bullhead City, Arizona
Hollister, Missouri
Livermore Falls, Maine
I’m out of the office tomorrow, so check back on Monday for all new headlines.
10.08.08
Wednesday Headlines: Sewer Repairs to Cost Windsor, N.J. Millions
Sporadic sewer problems around West Windsor, New Jersey have prompted the township council to approve a bond ordinance for sewer improvements totaling $6,072,621 and the issuance of $3,510,000 in bonds to finance part of the cost. The township has been plagued by a series of sewer problems, many of them due to heavy rains.
Headlines
A state consent decree requiring Middletown, New York to build a new sewer treatment plant and correct sewage overflow problems was approved by the Common Council Tuesday evening.
The installation of a 24-inch water line in downtown Tempe, Arizona and adjacent to Arizona State University is expected to create delays and detours for pedestrians and motorists alike. This $4.8 million project is necessary in anticipation of new developments in the downtown area creating a greater demand for water. The project is expected to be completed by mid-December.
City Council members in Tama, Iowa decided on Monday to add on to the city’s water treatment plant. The city has about $400,000 saved for the project, but addressing the water problems will likely require a rate increase.
Some households in Jacksonville, Texas will see improvementsin their wastewater system in the near future as more than 4,000 feet of sewer lines will be replaced.
Sewer Rate News
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Marshall, Texas
09.30.08
Tuesday Headlines: New Documentary Tells Story of Water Infrastructure
A new documentary by Penn State Public Broadcasting focused on the need to reinvest in our Nation’s water infrastructure will begin airing this week on many local PBS stations. Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure, is a 90-minute documentary that tells the story of our largely out of sight, out of mind water, wastewater and stormwater systems.
Below is a four-minute trailer of the documentary, click here to check your local listings and see when the documentary will be shown in your area.
Headlines
The effects of time, hydrogen sulfide gas, fats, oils and grease have cost residents in Collierville, Tennessee $248,000 to repair two miles of sewer pipe.
A no-contact advisory was issued yesterday for Wolf Lake in Egelston Township, Michigan, after raw sewage leaked from a nearby transmission line. The break in a 16-inch line resulted in sewage seeping into the wetlands west of the lake.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued a boil advisory for the City of Cresco last week after officials reported a water line rupture. Several area businesses and schools were forced to close for a day and city residents were advised not to drink water straight from the tap.
In New Jersey, Hanover Township officials are threatening to issue a stop work order or file a lawsuit to halt work on the solar panel project at the Morristown wastewater treatment facility unless township inspectors are given access to the project.
Sewer Rate News
Galveston, Texas
Tiffin, Ohio
09.29.08
Monday Headlines: Vermont Town Looks to Improve Aging Water System
In November, residents in Ludlow, Vermont will be asked to approve a $3.5 million bond to improve the town’s aging water system that would raise their annual water bills by 57 percent. The bond would be financed through a 40-year loan from USDA Rural Development at 2.7 percent with an annual payment $142,700.
Headlines
City crews are still working on a water main break that dried up service to homes and businesses yesterday in Mountain View, California. The age of the pipe–which is 75 years old– is believed to be the cause of the break. (picture courtesy of KFMB)
Officials in Cincinnati had a watery mess to clean up Sunday night. Public works crews had to turn the water off in the area and shut down a major thoroughfare for several hours.
An interesection in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania is expected to remain closed until this afternoon while crews make repairs to a water line break that was discovered early today.
A water main break in El Paso, Texas Friday night flooded a gas station and convenience store. The water continued to stream onto the property for more than two hours before water crews showed up to turn it off.
Sewer Rate News
Kirkwood, New York
Tarpon Springs, Florida
09.26.08
Friday Headlines: Despite Improvements Port Huron Struggles with CSOs
Despite making significant improvements and spending $135 million since 1988 on separating its combined sewer system, Port Huron, Michigan still ranks in the top five in the state for volume of combined sewer overflows. Last year, Port Huron accounted for 2.3% of the 13.575 billion gallons of untreated storm water and sewage released in the state of Michigan.
Headlines
In Texas, Fort Hood officials have confirmed the cleanup of about 168,000 gallons of spilled sewage, which they believe did not contaminate bodies of water. Public works inspectors have determined a fracture in the main distribution pipe allowed the sewage to escape from the facility.
Neighborhoods in Houston, Texas are experiencing problems with sewage spills as the city’s Public Works Department tries to get all lift stations operating again. Every sewage lift pump was affected by Hurricane Ike in some way and even municipal utility districts suffered issues with the power outages at lift pump stations that control wastewater.
Long Beach, California made a slight improvement from last year but still had the worst water quality in the state “by far” because the Los Angeles River pours into the city’s waters, according to a new report released by Heal the Bay.
Lawyers for Alabama’s Jefferson County and bond insurers were set to battle on Friday over an emergency request to give control of the county’s heavily indebted sewer system to a court receiver. Jefferson County is negotiating with Wall Street creditors against a Tuesday deadline on restructuring $3.2 billion of troubled sewer-system debt.
Sewer Rate News
Anchorage, Alaska
Glendale, Arizona
09.24.08
Wednesday Headlines: $843 Mil. Needed to Repair Louisville’s Sewer System
The Metropolitan Sewer District of Louisville, Kentucky says its massive court-imposed plan to rehabilitate the sewer system will cost about 5 percent more than previously estimated. The new estimate of $843 million will pay for repairs to a system that annually spills about 4 billion gallons of sewage into local waterways, such as the Ohio River.
Headlines
In Chicago, a car was damaged after partially falling into a sinkhole created by a water main break. The car, which was parked, fell in after it the ground around it caved. “When the main broke, the water undermined the pavement and soil and created a hole,” said a City Department of Water Management spokesperson.
A quarter of a million people in the Houston region are still without running water nearly two weeks after Hurricane Ike caused extensive damage, Restoring water service may prove complicated. The problem has a myriad causes including severe infrastructure damage in coastal areas.
Sludge and sewage runoff from Bismarck, Missouri’s current treatment plant into a receiving stream has forced the city to move forward with plans for a new wastewater treatment plant or face stiff fines from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Southeastern Michigan has proposed investing $2.4 billion in projects aimed at reducing combined sewer overflows in communities, according to a report released Tuesday by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The projects, in which about $1 billion is in place now, has resulted in an 85 percent reduction in untreated CSO discharges from 1990 levels, the report said.
Sewer Rate News
Bradenton, Florida
Humble, Texas
Huntington, West Virginia
Riverside, California
09.18.08
Thursday Headlines: Bay City Reports 57 Million Gallons in Sewer Overflows
In Michigan, the details of sewage overflows blamed on last weekend’s storm are starting to trickle in, with Bay City wastewater officials reporting a discharge of 57 million gallons to the Saginaw River. The overflow, of combined sewage and stormwater, occurred from Sunday through Tuesday and was reported Wednesday.
Headlines
As Peoria, Illinois decides how to address problems with combined sewer overflows, the city’s Public Works Department has developed three options for addressing the situation which range in price from $105 million to $260 million.
Quick work by a Honolulu Department of Environmental Services crew prevented 1,125 gallons of raw sewage which spilled out of a manhole and into a storm drain yesterday from reaching Moanalua Stream. The spill was caused by roots clogging an 8-inch sewer pipe.
After five water line breaks along the same segment in the past month, the city of Tyler, Texas has decided to do a line replacement at a cost of $150,000.
Construction crews had to shut-down a city block in York, Pennsylvania for more than 16 hours yesterday following an early morning water break. According to the York Water Company, the 10 inch water main break is a result of old age. The city estimates that 680 miles of piping under the city is about 100 years old, and that it will take around 100 years to replace all of it.
Sewer Rate News
Bath, Maine
Berea, Kentucky
