August 30, 2010
Monday’s Water News: Massive Water Main Break Leads to Smaller Ones in New Jersey
In New Jersey, seven additional water mains ruptured in and around Clifton and Passaic in the hours after a massive water main break last Tuesday dumped 40 million gallons of water into a parking lot.
Headlines
The Washington state Department of Ecology has lowered the dollar amount of the penalty that King County was assessed for sewer overflow violations earlier this year. Originally, King County was fined $46,000, but that amount was lowered to $39,500 after the penalty was recalculated by the state at King County’s request.
Work has begun in Duluth, Minnesota to address its sewer overflow problems by constructing a 1 million gallon tank at one of the Sanitary District’s pumping station.
Stimulus Spotlight
Officials in North Dakota today broke ground for a water treatment facility in Linton for the South Central Regional Water District. The project has received more than $21 million in federal stimulus grants and more than $7 million in federally backed loans.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Calif.) has decided to begin the second phase of a federally funded flood protection and habitat enhancement project on Lower Silver Creek in San Jose. The project, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, has been awarded $18.5 million in federal economic stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Sewer Rate News
Buellton, California
Holmdel, New Jersey
Rome, Georgia
Superior, Wisconsin
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
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
August 5, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: Heavy Rains in Omaha, Nebraska Cause Sewage Spills
After heavy rains hit Omaha, Nebraska, sewage poured into homes across the city. This has been a recurring problem in the city. Officials claim that the cost of making the sewer lines good enough to stop these spills is an estimated $1.6 billion dollars.
Headlines
A broken sewer line in Baltimore, Maryland has caused 10,000 gallons of sewage to pour into nearby Herring Run Stream, which is a tributary to many Baltimore rivers. Officials have warned all residents to avoid contact with any streams or rivers in the area until further notice.
A malfunction in Thompsons Station, Tennessee is causing sewage leaks in the town. The spill is estimated at 800 gallons minute and has yet to be repaired.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Glenburnie, Maryland will be getting a new stormwater and sewage system, as well as some road repairs. The $24 million dollar project is being funded by low interest stimulus loans.
Sewer Rate News
Sacramento, California
Sandusky, Ohio
Talladega, Alabama
Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Orroville, California
August 3, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: EPA Fines Five Pennslvania Sewage Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued five separate fines for violations by Pennsylvania sewage treatment facilities across the state. The fines have reportedly been issued because these plants are failing to test water issued by industrial plants.
Headlines
The citizens of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin are furious with the town council after recent sewage backups soaked 700 homes. Residents claim the flooding happened because of the town’s poor sewage system, as these floods are a regular occurrence.
An electrical malfunction caused raw sewage to pour into West Fork Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The problem was spotted after dead fish began floating on the river’s surface.
Heavy rains in Duluth, Minnesota caused a 49,000 gallon mixture of sewage and rainwater to flow into Lake Superior.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, a combination of federal grants and low interest loans amounting to $668,000 dollars is going to help the town of Haledon, New Jersey reline 10,000 feet of sewage pipes.
Sewer Rate News
East Moline, Illinois
Mount Airy, North Carolina
North Ridgeville, Ohio
Poplarville, Mississippi
July 29, 2010
Thursday’s Water News: 2 Billion Gallons of Sewage pours into Milwaukee Lakes and Streams
A massive amount of sewage poured into lakes and streams in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after heavy rains hit the area. It is estimated that 2 billion gallons of sewage spilled during this time. This has been the fourth sewage overflow that the city has seen this year alone.
Headlines
A 14 feet deep, 25 feet long sinkhole has opened up along a St. Louis, Missouri neighborhood. Officials say the street collapsed over a brick sewer line dating back to the 1870′s. An investigation is now underway to see how to properly replace the system.
Heavy rains in Duluth, Minnesota cause sewage overflows in the city. Officials say that more than 5,000 gallons spewed out of the city’s overtaxed stormwater drains in several locations around the city.
A pump failure in Des Moines, Iowa led to sewage overflows amounting to 3,000 gallons. The wastewater flowed directly into the Des Moines River, officials say.
Stimulus Spotlight
Thanks to the stimulus package, the town of Patten, Maine is getting 120,000 dollars in federal grants to remove contaminated soil and old gasoline tanks from underneath the town. This will make the water much cleaner and safer to drink for Patten residents.
Sewer Rate News
Indianola, Iowa
Middleboro, Massachusetts
Wellsburg, West Virginia
Port Richey, Florida
July 20, 2010
Tuesday’s Water News: Milwaukee Has Its Largest Sewer Overflow of 2010
Rainstorms in Milwaukee this weekend caused 506 million gallons of untreated wastewater to leak into local streams and Lake Michigan. The storm that caused the overflow produced over 5 inches of rain in just over a single day.
Headlines
A six-inch pipe burst in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday. The pipe ruptured in the early afternoon, causing traffic problems.
A sewage spill into Lake Cornelius resulted in a swimming ban being issued by officials in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. A small treatment facility leaked 375 gallons of sewage into a nearby lake in Davidson, North Carolina.
A four-inch water main ruptured in Narberth, Pennsylvania this afternoon leaving residents of an apartment complex without water. The age of the pipe is the suspected cause of the break.
Stimulus Spotlight
Using stimulus funds, the City of San Francisco is issuing $387 Build America Bonds. The interest on these bonds is covered by federal stimulus funds. The city plans to use the proceeds to fund numerous projects including water infrastructure improvement and repair.
Sewer Rate News
Blue Springs, Missouri
Caledonia, Minnesota
Eagle Lake, Florida
Roosevelt, 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 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 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
