July 30, 2010
Friday’s Water News: Ohio EPA Investigates Milford’s Duck Creek
Ohio’s State Environmental Protection Agency is taking a close look at the town of Milford’s Duck Creek. The creek is a tributary to many others, so the problem is not an isolated one. Residents are reporting untreated or undertreated waste in the river, largely due to an aging wastewater infrastructure that leads to repeated overflows.
Headlines
The Town of Lee’s Summit, Missouri is being charged $60,000 dollars in penalties for sewage overflows in 2008 and 2009. One of these spills amounted to 100,000 gallons of sewage pouring into nearby Prairie Lee Lake.
A $101,000 dollar fine has been issued to the town of North Providence, Rhode Island because the federal Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the local drinking water unsafe.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Cambridge, Massachusetts is receiving $2 million dollar in low interest loans to repair its aging wastewater infrastructure system.
Sewer Rate News
Castleton, Vermont
Granville, Ohio
Macomb Township, Michigan
North Ridgeville, Ohio
Princeton Borough, New Jersey
July 16, 2010
Friday’s Water News: City of Macon (Ga.) to Issue $50M in Bonds for Water, Sewer Upgrades
In Georgia, the Macon Water Authority has approved the refinancing of $14.2 million in bonds and the eventual sale of $50 million more. The new bonds will pay for a long list of improvements to the authority’s water distribution system, sewers, replacement of a sewer line that collapsed under the Macon levee last year, and more.
Headlines
California state water quality have fined the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District $350,000 for a series of spills that have poured 930,077 gallons of raw sewage into waterways in the past three years.
Sewer overflows may affect beachgoers in Milwaukee this weekend. At 9 AM this morning, the main tunnels, which hold a remarkable 432 million gallons, were more than 98 percent full.
The City of Greensboro, North Carolina had 1.45 million gallons of untreated wastewater spilled into South Buffalo Creek on Wednesday. According to the city, the discharge lasted over 6 hours due to a power and generator failure that was complicated by extreme flows caused by heavy rain.
Stimulus Spotlight
The Town of Pittsford, Vermont is hoping to receive economic stimulus funding available through the USDA that would cover 45 percent of a $1.9 million sewer project.
Sewer Rate News
Keokuk, Iowa
Monroe, Pennsylvania
July 1, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Missouri Sewer Overflow Woes Continue
It has been a messy week for Missouri’s waters with more than 25 million gallons of raw sewage reported spilled in Kansas City and St. Louis alone. Five of the six incidents have occurred in Kansas City, but the worst incident occurred in St. Louis when two pumps failed and allowed 4.6 million gallons of sewage to leak into the Mississippi River daily for the past week.
Headlines
A water main break closes streets in Boston, Massachusetts. Crews were working to fix the broken 12 inch pipe. The street was cleared of all traffic while clean-up took place.
In Baytown, Texas, the city council sprang to immediate action on Wednesday after a water line collapse. For now, a temporary bypass has been set up but a replacement line will be installed farther from the creek but within the same right of way. The damaged segment will be abandoned.
Sewer Rate News
Allegan, Michigan
Altavista, Virginia
Antioch, California
Danvers, Massachusetts
Front Royal, Virginia
June 29, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Miami’s Sewers in Need of Repair
Sewer system infrastructure in Miami, Florida is in dire need of repair. The underground piping system is over 40 years old and is reaching the end of its useful life. However, the city lacks the necessary capital to undertake such sweeping renewal of its 13,600 miles of underground piping for water and sewage.
Headlines
A large water main break has buckled part of a road in Evansville, Indiana. The large pipe began gushing early Tuesday morning, but officials are hastily repairing it. Roads near the break were closed while repairs while being made.
A water main break in North Platte, Nebraska flooded a parking lot over the weekend. The pipe had been installed in the 1950′s and has since received no renewal or replacement. The clean-up crews discovered a huge hole in the side of the pipe, posing the notion that similar pipes of that age may be at risk.
Stimulus Spotlight
A series of construction projects are underway in Cape Charles, Virginia including the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant with stimulus money funding most of the project.
The outgoing City Manager in Buchanan, Michigan says her proudest accomplishment was securing federal stimulus dollars for ongoing water and sewer improvements that will save the city about $3 million or about 40 percent of the project’s cost.
Sewer Rate News
Honolulu, Hawaii
Rainier, Washington
Rutland, Vermont
South Bend, Indiana
June 22, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Water Still Unsafe in Harrison, Arkansas
A break in the sewage system all the way back in January has still not been fixed in Harrison, Arkansas. Officials are worried that contaminated water may flow from nearby Mill Creek into the Buffalo River. A lack of funding is blamed for the delay in repairs.
Headlines
Residents in Lynchburg, Virginia are dealing with raw sewage spills in their backyards. This problem has been going on for months and officials are investigating. It remains unknown how extensive the spills are and what effect they are having on local drinking water.
Another sewage spill has hit Kansas City, Missouri with 95,000 gallons of raw sewage pouring into Kernodle Lake after a sewer line break. Officials are required to give an extensive report on the damage done to the water within five days.
Heavy rains in Richmond, Indiana have caused sewage and wastewater spills. The sewage flowed into the East fork of the nearby Whitewater River. Residents have been advised to avoid contact with the water for 72 hours.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, Port Richmond, New York’s sewage treatment plant will get a $29 million upgrade. It is being funded with tax-free bonds included in the economic stimulus package.
Water users in Shaftsbury, Vermont are expected to save approximately $1,000 each over the next 20 years in paying off a bond used to upgrade water lines after the town was approved to receive $217,000 in federal stimulus money to pay off more than half of the $425,000 bond administered through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
Sewer Rate News
Conyngham, Pennsylvania
Houston, Texas
Olanta, North Carolina
Toccoa, Georgia
June 14, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Louisville Deals With Mounting Sewer Debt
As the Metropolitan Sewer District debt in Louisville, Kentucky builds, residents are beginning to feel the pinch. The Metropolitan Sewer District maintains the highest level of debt it has ever sustained. There appears to be more trouble on the horizon due to a court-imposed rehabilitation program with an $850 million price tag.
Headlines
Nearly all of the Eastwood community in Syracuse, New York has been restored with adequate water pressure. An official claimed workers were able to restore the neighborhood with decent water pressure after they freed a valve that failed to respond correctly to a broken water main.
Mandated upgrades of wastewater treatment plants are affecting Portsmouth, Maine. These upgrades are designed to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the water and concomitantly the amount of nitrogen in the Great Bay Estuary into which the water flows.
A water main break early this morning in Alexandria, Virginia caused a sinkhole to form near a busy intersection this morning.
Stimulus Spotlight
In Arkansas, construction is set to begin in November on a project 60 years in the making. U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln announced that $37 million in federal funds are available for two high-volume pump stations at the heart of the Bayou Meto Water Management Project. These funds, derived from the American Recovery and Restoration Act, are essential to beginning the project, but more funds will be needed to see it through.
Sewer Rate News
Boston, Massachusetts
Las Gallinas, California
Montpelier, Vermont
Morganton, North Carolina
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
June 8, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Small Towns Vexed By Sewage Issues
Small towns are having serious issues when it comes to sewage, particularly in Mabton, Washington. Officials claim that many systems are 5, 10, or even 15 years out of date, leading to accidents. Sewer rate hikes are on the horizon for many of these towns, but that alone will not cover the cost. Many towns are applying for grants to ease the problem as well.
Headlines
An unknown amount of sewage spilled into the Cedar River in Seattle, Washington after two clogs in two days. After officials unclogged the pipe, buildup caused it to be clogged again the very next day. It is still unknown what the cause of the clogs were.
The citizens of Cheektowaga, New York are fed up with the crumbling wastewater infrastructure in their town. After heavy rains over the weekend, many of the citizen’s basements were flooded with sewage.
Stimulus Spotlight
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been put to good use in West Virginia, according to officials. $139 million, including 61 million from the ARRA, has been spent on 39 projects throughout the state to improve or build wastewater facilities.
Thanks to the economic stimulus Las Vegas is seeing construction on two large water infrastructure projects. Those projects are a $447 million dollar water intake system and a $257 million dollar wastewater treatment plant.
Sewer Rate News
Bay City, Michigan
Pilot Mountain, North Carlonia
Sioux City, Iowa
St. Albans, Vermont
January 25, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Massachusetts Cities Get $6.6M for Sewer Overflows
Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal (D) announced today the release of $6.6 million in federal stimulus money to reduce sewer overflows affecting rivers in the cities of Springfield and Chicopee.
Headlines
An early-morning water main break in Walnut Creek, California caused the subsequent break of a natural gas line, prompting the evacuation of a few homes.
A water main break sent thousands of gallons of water flowing onto the street, flooding several homes and businesses in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday.
Stimulus Spotlight
Lake Hamilton, Florida has received a welcome surprise, a $190,000 grant from the economic stimulus to install new water lines. The new lines will replace older lines that break frequently.
After talking about it for 30 years, Barre, Vermont is close to replacing its century-old sewer lines. Stimulus funding would pay for 95% of the $15 million project, but the city has to come up with 2% of the road construction money, plus another million dollars to replace old sewer pipes. That’s a $1.8 million bond voters will be asked to approve on Town Meeting Day.
Sewer Rate News
Gerber, California
Sioux City, Iowa
January 19, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Water Main Break Closes School in Vermont
Molly Stark Elementary School in Bennington, Vermont will be closed for the remainder of the week because of a water main break that happened on Sunday.
Headlines
In Alexandria, Virginia a 12-inch pipe that runs under a historic statue broke, opening a gaping hole near the base of its large granite stand. Utility crews shut down Washington Street cutting off the main thoroughfare and bewildering pedestrians and drivers.
A large water main break along Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado is blocking a number of lanes on the street, said Steve Davis, spokesman for the Lakewood Police Department.
Metropolitan District Commission crews are working to repair a 12-inch water main that broke this afternoon in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Stimulus Spotlight
In Indiana, Union City’s north water plant is undergoing major renovations now, thanks to the State Revolving Loan Fund and the federal Stimulus money.
Sewer Rate News
Conneaut, Ohio
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Madison, Wisconson
Spring Hill, Tennessee
