Top News
New Hampshire: The Governor’s Water Sustainability Commission’s report, issued December 24, estimates the state will need to invest $2.9 billion just to deal with the state’s aging infrastructure. The biggest challenge to the problem, the report said, could be lack of political will.
New Jersey: Using a new model to address water infrastructure needs, United Water and KKR announced today the initiation of a partnership for water and wastewater system operations in the City of Bayonne, N.J. This investment in Bayonne’s infrastructure will lead to improved service reliability and water quality while maintaining rate stability and funds will be used to upgrade water systems, freeing the city to invest in other services.
South Dakota: U.S. Senator Tim Johnson reccently announced the US Economic Development Administration has awarded $2,069,600 to the City of Yankton to invest in infrastructure improvements needed in the city’s wastewater collection, transmission and treatment systems. Project is funded through the Fiscal Year 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity Program and is administered through the EDA.
New York: New York faces a shortfall of up to $89 billion in funding for water, sewer and transportation infrastructure over the next two decades, according to a report issued December 21 by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “There are growing cracks in New York’s public infrastructure,” DiNapoli said. “New York may have as much as $89 billion in unmet infrastructure needs in the next 20 years. . ”
Long Beach, California: While the Long Beach Water Department’s cash reserves rose by 566 percent after water and sewer rates were hiked in recent years, officials say there will be no refunds to customers nor will rates be lowered. But a city’s auditor’s report the noted the lack of money spent on capital projects, saying that between 2009 and 2011 the department only spent 57 percent of the amounts projected for water projects and only 25 percent of the money forecast for sewer projects. The department currently has seven budgeted projects on hold worth more than $9 million total.
Failing Infrastructure
Chickasaw, Alabama: An estimated 4,000 gallons of sanitary sewer water overflowed from a manhole at 403 Ninth Ave. in Chickasaw on Wednesday, Dec. 19, officials with the Chickasaw Utilities Board reported to the Mobile County Health Department today. The ultimate destination of the discharge was Gumtree Branch.
Savannah, Georgia: An aging main split, on December 24, caused an estimated release of 1,300 gallons of sewage to spill into the storm drainage system, which flows into the Savannah River. The amount of the spill is classified as a minor spill under State Environmental Protection Division guidelines, which considers anything less than 10,000 gallons minor.
Chicopee, Massachusetts: A water main break in Chicopee sprayed streams of water onto the front of a house on December 18, bringing water department crews to the repair on Prospect Street near the corner of Bush Avenue in Willimansett. The break forced the closure of Prospect Street.
Arlington, Virginia: A broken water main installed during the Calvin Coolidge administration caused traffic tie-ups in Arlington. The December 18 break completely shut down traffic on Columbia Pike between George Mason Drive and Four-Mile Run while crews work to repair the 83-year-old line.
Tulsa, Oklahoma: A broken 48-inch transmission waterline trapped 31 children and eight adults in thea Blossom Child Care Center on December 18. Water surrounded the building but did not flood it. Once the valve was shut off to the line and water receded, responders escorted the children and staff from the center.
Henrico, Virginia: A broken water main break on December 18 closed a portion of Virginia Center Parkway and disrupted water service in the Magnolia Ridge subdivision, off Virginia Center Parkway. Approximately 425 residents in the area temporarily lost water service.
Portland, Oregon: A water main broke in North Portland December 18, disrupting water service to about 15 homes in a two-block radius. The break happened on North Wayland Avenue between Willis Boulevard and Hunt Street.
Westport, Connecticut: The Aquarion Water Company said a water line break on December 18 shut down water service to an area around Westport’s Woodside Avenue. In a CodeRed message to customers, the company said the break was expected to last until about 6 p.m.
Portland, Maine: A broken water main, dating back to 1912, disrupted service to 4,000 homes, closed schools, shut down restaurants, coffee shops, and soup kitchens December 19, prime shopping season. Officials say it was the largest water break in Portland in 16 years. Cars parked along the street, were flooded up to the windows within hours of the break. A boil water alert was also issued.
Peabody, Massachusetts: A water main break at Lynnfield and Washington streets shut down roads, caused major traffic disruptions, and disruption in water service.
Scotch Plains, New Jersey: Assemblywoman Linda Stender has introduced legislation requiring water utilities to cover certain costs related to flood damage from a 44-inch water main break in July. Flooding in homes adjacent to the broken water main resulted in thousands of dollars in damages. The water company claimed they were not responsible to repair the costs of the damage.
Kirkland, Washington: A broken water main on December 21 left 16 homes without water and two flooded. Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Haschak said Thursday night two houses were flooded- one with six inches, the other with 12-18 inches of water. Water was coming up around both sides of the roads when firefighters arrived requiring them to divert water from the street.
San Diego, California: An 18-in. water main break in the Midway area, the second in two day, left 6 businesses without water. Pipe repair took most of the day, but were completed very early the next morning.
Indianapolis, Indiana: A water main break closed northbound lanes of Post Road Saturday night December 22. Closures remained until early Sunday morning. Representatives with Citizens Water say a water main break closed northbound lanes of Post Road between 30th and 33rd streets.
Quincy, Illinois: A 48-hour boil order was lifted December 24 for residents near 24th and State Streets in Quincy. A water main break late Saturday night flooded parts of the northbound and southbound lanes of S. 24th St. just after 10 p.m.
South Texas: City crews were busy Saturday, December 22, repairing three separate water main breaks in different parts of the city. One break, located in the 2600 block of Brawner Pkwy., shot water 10 to 20 ft. into the air. Crews repairing the break said the old 6-in water line ruptured because of ground shifting. Crews were able to repair all 3 breaks with minimal disruptions to traffic or service.
Atlanta, Georgia: A Christmas Eve water main break cut service to hundreds of residents in southwest Atlanta. About 250 homes between Wallace Road and Dayton Drive were affected. The main was repaired by late Christmas Eve.
San Francisco, California: Firefighters and Marin Municipal Water District crews were at the scene of a water main break in Mill Valley, where streets were blocked off to traffic. The break occurred outside of 235 Marin Ave. between Bell Lane and Flamingo Road, a water district dispatcher said.
Clarksville, Tennessee: Crews responding to to Lafayette Road, near Cunningham Lane early December 24, found a broken water valve. The valve was leaking water down the hill toward a house that reportedly suffered some water damage. The water was turned off to roughly 250 nearby residents while repairs were made.
Charlotte, North Carolina: A portion of North Tryon Street near NoDa will remained closed through Thursday , December 27, as crews work to repair roadway damage from a 12-inch water main break that occurred December 25. The closure affects inbound Tryon Street between 36th Street and Atando Avenue. Crews worked much of Christmas Day to fix the main break. But the city said the main break left behind damage that will need “extensive repair.”
Northern Kentucky Water District, Kentucky
Clean Water Weekly 