August 17, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Small North Carolina Town to Receive $3.3M for New Sewer System
In North Carolina, the Currituck County Board of Commissioners has approved plans to build a new public sewer system in the small communinity of Moyock after three years of debate and negotiation. The new $3.3 million plant would treat 100,000 gallons per day but could be expanded to 600,000 gallons per day.
Headlines
A water line break drowned a Tulsa, Oklahoma neighborhood in acres of water on Monday afternoon. The water flooded the street, dozens of yards, and swamped several homes. As the water receded, it left a gaping hole and a buckled road in its muddy wake.
Logan, Utah Mayor Randy Watts said the state Department of Environmental Quality has given the city seven years to cut by half the amount of phosphorous its sewage lagoons, located on the west side of town, discharge to Cutler Reservoir.
A $5.2 million upgrade to the village of Winneconne, Wisconsin’s wastewater treatment plant has started and is expected to take 18 months to complete. The project includes work to upgrade and increase the facility’s ability for wastewater treatment that should be good for at least 25 years.
Stimulus Spotlight
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded more than $1.46 million in grants for engineering studies to 50 public water supply systems throughout the state. These awards, which are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will fund engineering reports and facility plans that will include data collection, analysis and water system planning.
Sewer Rate News
East Moline, Illinois
Galesburg, Illinois
M0yock, North Carolina
Northport, Alabama
July 6, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Thompson’s Lake in Albany, New York Closed After Sewage Spill
Popular swimming spot Thompson’s Lake in Albany, New York has been closed until further notice due to a nearby sewage spill. The lake may be contaminated due to the nearby campground pump failure. This happened Sunday night, so tourists who came to the lake to vacation could not swim in the blistering heat on Monday and are expected to not be able to swim until the water is tested on Thursday.
Headlines
A sewage spill closes Little Corona Beach in Orange County, California. It seems that a sewer main break at nearby Newport Coast Drive poured 18,000 gallons of wastewater into Buck Gulch, which flows directly in to Little Corona. Officials are still investigating the cause of the problem.
Heavy rains cause wastewater overflows in Eddyville, Iowa. After a storm, citizens in the town are now dealing with sewage in their houses. The wastewater system could not handle the rain and has caused Eddyville officials to ask for help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ease the pressure on the sewage system.
Raw sewage continues to flow into the Ohio River from about 1,000 homes and businesses in Weirton, West Virginia. This has been an ongoing problem for fifty years, and officials are struggling to fix it. he main problem has been with funding. The city has allocated 130,000 dollars in loans to fix the leaks, but the cost of fixing the spills has been estimated to be between 2-4 million dollars.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, and specifically Build America Bonds, the sewage system in Lansing, Michigan is getting a complete overhaul. The town issued these low interest bonds totaling 20 million dollars to fix problems in sewage as well as mending roadways.
A combination of federal grants and low interest loans is helping the town of Dana, Indiana complete a 6.7 million dollar project for a new wastwater treatment plant, as well as new sewers and lift stations. The lack of a good sewer system has caused a decline in the town’s economy in recent years, and officials are sure that this will strengthen the town’s businesses.
Sewer Rate News
San Mateo, California
Porterdale, Georgia
American Fork, Utah
Garner, North Carolina
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 16, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Chronic Sewage Overflows in Dogtown (Mo.)
Wastewater flooded basements in Dogtown, Missouri for the fourth time in two months and the affected residents are fed up. Every time a storm occurs, they complain, the sewage system can’t handle the additional wastewater. City officials are working on the issue, but have limited resources at hand to deal with the problem.
Headlines
Street flooding was unavoidable and pumping sewage into creeks and rivers was needed when heavy rains hit Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Tuesday afternoon. Officials states that any sewage in the water was diluted.
Residents are furious in Bucyrus, Ohio over chronic sewage overflows in their town. Recent rains led to almost four feet of wastewater pouring into residents’ basements. One resident is so angry he is filing a claim to the EPA for assistance with the damages to his home.
In Atlanta, raw sewage has spilled into Rock Creek and some residents have even had it spill into their backyards. Because the sewer line borders the city of Atlanta and Dekalb County, there is a dispute over which government entity is responsible for fixing the problem.
Stimulus Spotlight
A city school in Hobson City, Alabama will receive $42,000 in economic stimulus money to update its aging water infrastructure as part of a project to establish a Head Start program in the small community.
Ivins , Utah will receive a $5 million low-interest loan funded via the economic stimulus to improve its stormwater system.
Sewer Rate News
Bossier City, Louisiana
Orangetown, Virginia
Richmond, California
Wichita, Kansas
February 23, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Kentucky City Gets $1.3M for Water Treatment Plant
Kentucky congressman Ben Chandler presented the city of Harrodsburg, with a $1.3 million appropriation for improvements to a wastewater treatment plant. The improvements will benefit about 3,000 customers and will keep the facility in compliance with state regulations.
Headlines
In Salt Lake City, a water main break made a mess of roads near the Capitol and damaged some homes Tuesday morning.
A water main break in Rowan County, Kentucky has forced a shutdown of the school system. Maysville Community and Technical College also canceled classes because of the problem.
An estimated 7,500 gallons of sewage spilled this morning into the Santa Margarita River from the USMC base at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.
Stimulus Spotlight
In California, the Santa Clara Valley Water District will vote on a plan today to build a new $52 million recycled water facility at a water pollution control plant in San Jose. Financing for the project includes $11 million from the city of San Jose, $3 million from the state and$8.25 million from the economic stimulus funds.
Federal stimulus funds and a partnership between sewer districts are making possible a total rehabilitation of the Slater, South Carolina sewer system built in 1928. The $2.2 million in stimulus money will construct new lines and allow Slater’s Sanitary Sewer District to take ownership of the system once it is constructed.
Sewer Rate News
Altamont, Illinois
Howell, Michigan
Bellingham, Massachusetts
February 5, 2010
Friday’s Water News: U.S. and Canada End Dispute Over “Buy American”
A yearlong dispute between the U.S. and Canada over “Buy American” rules in the economic stimulus package has been settled. The deal will allow use of Canadian products in many local U.S. projects funded by the stimulus program. Municipalities receiving stimulus funding for water and sewer projects have complained that a shortage of products, including water filters made by General Electric, were causing construction delays.
Headlines
Officials in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin say it might be days before residents can safely drink water after a water main break Friday morning caused a pressure drop that’s still affecting the city.
The City Council in Johnston, Iowa has approved a detailed stormwater management plan that recommends nine priority projects — at a cost of more than $8.4 million — in an effort to improve water quality and quantity by reducing runoff and increasing infiltration.
Stimulus Spotlight
The town of Greenville, Wisconsin will receive $1.2 million in federal stimulus grant money to support its new water tower construction project and related water main work. The grant will pay for half of the cost of the project.
Federal stimulus funding for Ardmore, Oklahoma will help renovate part of a sewer line that is more than 50 years old. The city will receive $1 million for the project but have to cover any additional costs of the project which are expected to be $250,000.
Sewer Rate News
Carson City, Nevada
Montgomery County, Maryland
Orem, Utah
Rockport, Massachusetts
February 2, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Aging Pipes Lead to Sewer Overflows in San Francisco Area
During the storms that rained on the San Francisco Bay Area a couple of weeks back, a total of 630,000 gallons of raw sewage spewed into the bay at 47 spots. Even worse, 170 million gallons of partially treated sewage was discharged from three East Bay Municipal Utility District “wet weather” overflow plants.
Headlines
Layton Hills Mall in Layton, Utah was closed Monday after a major water line broke Sunday and damaged electrical components, knocking out power to the building.
The city of Utica, New York is eyeing four sewer projects that will cost about $12 million. The proposed projects would be the first step toward a $150 million fix needed to keep overflow sewage and stormwater out of the Mohawk River.
Stimulus Spotlight
After receiving $5 million in federal stimulus money, the Long Branch, New Jersey’s Sewerage Authority is about to embark on a $19 million upgrade of a treatment plant, assorted pumping stations and many sanitary sewer lines.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has announced that all of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for wastewater infrastructure are now under contract. The contracts are spread across 42 parishes, funding 55 projects.
Sewer Rate News
Cyrus, Minnesota
Hudson, New York
North Tonawanda, New York
Vacaville, California
January 20, 2010
Wednesday’s Water News: Massive Water Main Break In Oklahoma
Water is back on for thousands of homes and businesses in Oklahoma City after a massive water main break. The 72-inch line broke on Tuesday afternoon and forced the cancellation of classes at Oklahoma City Community College on Tuesday night.
Headlines
A 12-inch water main break that flooded three lanes of the Baltimore Beltway’s Outer Loop affected traffic through the evening rush hour yesterday.
Eighteen communities in Kansas will share nearly seven million dollars, in water and sewer grants from the federal government’s Community Development Block Grant program.
Stimulus Spotlight
A $35.8 million loan from the economic stimulus will upgrade a sewage treatment plant in Austin, Texas and will add a methane-powered generator that could power 750 homes as well as double the facility’s capacity for turning Austin’s toilet waste into nutrient-rich soil known as Dillo Dirt.
It will be up to the owners of the 160 dwellings in Louisville, New York whether to accept a Rural Development financing package. If the offer is approved by district residents and finalized by USDA, the town would receive $3.77 million in grant funding and a low-interest loan for $1.28 million. The influx of federal stimulus money made the project much more affordable and attractive for residents.
Sewer Rate News
Aurora, Ohio
Casper, Wyoming
Chesterton, Indiana
Columbus, Ohio
November 24, 2009
Tuesday’s Water News: Arkansas City Approves $18m for Sewer Projects
In Jacksonville, Arkansas, the city council has approved $18 million in bonding authority for a series of projects to rehabilitate its aging sewer system.
Headlines
A break in a 36-inch water main in Arlington, Virginia has caused traffic delays and flooded some basements.
At a recent public meeting, the Allegheny County (Penn.) Regional Sanitary Sewer Authority estimated that it will cost “several billion” dollars to fix the region’s aging sewer systems.
Stimulus Spotlight
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the selection of $117.3 million in water and environmental project loans and grants that are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for rural water projects. The funding will support 31 water and wastewater projects in 17 states.
In Illinois, after months of waiting, the city of Spring Valley will receive nearly $5 million in stimulus funding for the three water and sewer projects. The funding is a no-interest loan which includes forgiveness for 25 percent of the loan. The city will have 20 years to repay the balance.
Sewer Rate News
Athens Borough, Pennsylvania
Columbus, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Mapleton, Utah
October 28, 2009
Wednesday’s Water News: Indiana Project Will Reduce Sewer Overflows
The Anderson, Indiana Board of Public Works has awarded a $8,249,000 contract to make facility improvements to the Water Pollution Control department for Phase I of its long-term control plan. The plan is in place to fulfill a federal consent decree that requires updates to the facility and a reduction in the annual number of combined sewer overflow events.
Headlines
A water main break in Sun City, Arizona flooded neighborhoods in the southern portion of the city.
Most of the student housing at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah were without water after a water main break.
Stimulus Spotlight
The town of Georgetown, Indiana will receive a $3.5 million grant through federal stimulus funds to build a wastewater treatment facility. The town does not have a sewage plant and was facing higher rates to remain on the city of New Albany’s system for another five years.
The city of Angels Camp, California will be making $3.1 million worth of upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant thanks to incoming funding from the economic stimulus.
Sewer Rate News
Riverbank, California
Rochester, Minnesota
Urbana, Ohio
