Water News, April 19, 2013

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Washington, DC: “Every $1 billion dollar invested in water/wastewater infrastructure could create $27,000 jobs,” NUCA president Florentino Gregorio (Anchor Construction, Washington, DC), said in his April 16 testimony before the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies House Committee on Appropriations. Citing the Clean Water Council study Sudden Impact: An Assessment of Short and Long Term Economic Impacts of Water and Wastewater Construction Projects, Gregorio said the ripple effect on economic demand amounts to approximately $950 billion per $1 billion investment.

Washington, DC: DC Water has announced a massive tunneling project to build large underground storage facilities to hold rain run-off and sewage until a storm subsides and the sewage mixture can be pumped to a treatment plant. It will eventually stretch longer than a football field and, when finished, will have burrowed through four miles of clay beneath the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, leaving behind a tunnel so big it could hold two tractor-trailers stacked on top of each other. DC Water officials heralded the projects as part of a plan to significantly reduce the amount of raw sewage that flows into local rivers and basements during rainstorms.

Failing Infrastructure

Annapolis: Md.: An estimated 13,860 gallons of wastewater spilled into Weems Creek in Annapolis after a corroded 14-inch sewer pipe failed. The leak, which occurred near the intersection of Jennifer Road and Admiral Drive, had been stopped by county crews roughly 4 hours after crews arrived at the scene.

Milwaukee, Wisc.: Torrential rains overwhelmed regional sewers and the deep tunnel, combined sanitary and storm sewers spilled an estimated 594 million gallons of untreated wastewater to local waterways, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials said. Overflows to rivers and Lake Michigan began April 10 to reduce the risk of sewage backups into basements.

Columbia, S.C.: Some 72,000 gallons of sewage spilled for several hours Sunday into Crane Creek in what a Columbia official said was one of the larger wastewater leaks he has seen this year. Heavy rains apparently allowed runoff to seep into a sewer line and overwhelm the wastewater collection system, causing sewage to spill from a manhole and into the creek.

Chicago, Ill. As a relentless rainstorm battered the Chicago area, Laide Giwa watched her Dodge Charger drop into a sinkhole. The hole — which had already swallowed two vehicles before claiming Giwa’s car —was not caused by the rain but by a break in an aging (98-year-old) water main, officials later said. Witnesses said the hole opened up in the 9600 block of South Houston Avenue about 5 a.m. and eventually was the entire width of the street.

Akron, Ohio: A 36-inch water main break released 4 to 6 million gallons of water while leaking for about 75 minutes. Water cascaded down North Street to Valley and then turned down Valley and started heading into the backyard of people’s homes, officials. The foundation of one vacant home on Gold Street was knocked out by the water and the city has condemned it.

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: A water main break near the Wilkes-Barre and Plains Township border left local businesses without water and disrupted traffic on River Street. Pennsylvania American Water Co. spokeswoman said the company received reports of low pressure around 4 a.m. Crews were repairing the leak in the afternoon, and water officials said they hoped affected businesses would have temporary water service by the evening. She said she didn’t know the cause of the break or how long it would take to permanently repair the main.

Kansas City, Mo.: An early morning water main break cut service to thousands of residents and canceled school in Lawson, Mo. because there was little or no water pressure in town. The city northeast of Kearney issued a boil order. The city advised residents that they will have extremely low water pressure until the break is fixed and the water towers have had time to refill.

Edison, N.J.: The township’s municipal building closed and cancelled the evening’s meeting because of a water main break on Route 27. Hoping crews would repair the leak quickly, Edison Mayor Antonia Ricigliano originally planned a delayed opening. Concluding that the repairs would take longer she closed the building. “We have no running toilets, no fire protection.”

Waikiki, Hawaii: A 12-inch water main break cut water off to the Aqua Palms Hotel and several nearby businesses. Police shut down the westbound lanes of Ala Moana Blvd. between Ena Rd. and Hobron Lane.

Palmer Township, Pa.: Easton Suburban Water Authority said low water pressure sent them searching for a water main leak. They discovered the leak as a sink hole formed beneath a water authority truck parked on Northwood Avenue, sending the vehicle’s rear end into the sinkhole, the water authority said. A 16-inch main at that site led to the formation of another hole a few feet away, damaging a 6-inch pipe, he said. An 8-inch sewer main was also damaged in the process.

Utica, N.Y.: Some Utica residents spent an afternoon without water due to a water main break near Rutger Street. The Mohawk Valley Water Authority reports that water is off on Rutger Street between Mohawk Street and Kossuth Avenue, as well as on the side streets of White and Smith places.

Water News, April 19, 2013

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Water News, April 19, 2013

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