July 31, 2008
Thursday Headlines: Sewage Spill Contaminates River in S.C.
In Columbia, South Carolina, a sewage spill is contaminating the rapids on the lower Saluda River, one of the area’s most popular spots to wade and swim. State health officials have warned people to stay out of a five-mile stretch of the river until the pollution is dispersed, as swallowing water or getting it into cuts could lead to illness.
Headlines
A blockage in a private sewer line caused a 162-gallon sewage spill into the San Diego Bay.
The number of water main breaks in the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia nearly doubled over the past fiscal year. In fiscal 2007, Harrisonburg’s water system sustained 29 breaks. For fiscal 2008, which ended June 30, the number jumped to 47.
A water main break has left 1,800 residents in Greenfield, Illinois under a boil order until further notice.
Sewer Rate News
Champaign, Illinois
Clifton, New Jersey
Marthasville, Missouri
Today mark’s the 100th post. Here’s to 100 more.
July 30, 2008
Wednesday Headlines: Huntington Riverfront Becomes Excavation Site
In Huntington, West Virginia, two collapsed sewer lines have turned a large portion of Harris Riverfront Park into an excavation site. A 42-inch-wide brick sewer line was replaced with a 48-inch wide concrete pipe. The brick line was about 100 years old. Crews now are repairing a 12-inch, cast-iron line that is more than 50 years old.
Headlines
The last of 13 projects is under way in Florence, Alabama to upgrade the city’s sewer system. The last project for Florence will complete its sanitary sewer overflow correction program that began in 2005 and cost approximately $11.5 million.
State Route 71 was closed in Berlin, Connecticut early Wednesday morning because of a water main break. Police believe the break was caused by an old pipe.
About 50 Palm Beach, Florida households had to boil their tap water yesterday following a water main break.
The Village of Glen Carbon, Illinois is in the beginning stages of funding a replacement to a sewer line that leads to the neighboring wastewater treatment plant. The $150,000 in village funding is part of a $450,000 matching grant the Army Corps of Engineers is contributing to the project through the Water Resources Development Act.
Sewer Rate News
Aurora, Ohio
Lehigh Acres, Florida
Whittington, Illinois
July 29, 2008
Tuesday Headlines: Report Says Beach Closures Rose in 2007
This morning, the “Today Show” took a look at the increase in beach closures from stormwater and raw sewage. A new report released today shows that 2007 had the second highest number of beach closings and advisories in the nation’s history. USA Today did a story today on the same topic this morning.
Headlines
In Holyoke, Massachusetts, heavy rain storms have resulted in sewage being discharged into the Connecticut River without being treated on four occasions in the past five weeks. Yet, this is a vast improvement compared to what took place before an $18 million treatment plant to process overflow water was installed in October of last year.
The small community of Indian Heights, Indiana (near Kokomo), is in the process of overhauling its sewer system. Between the new lift station, the force main, and the repairs to the sewers, the city is expected to make an investment of more than $700,000.
A broken water main flooded the intersection of a Charleston, South Carolina street Monday night, causing a drop in water pressure for some residents.
In Ohio, a judge has ruled Holmes County has until September 22 to draft a plan that will bring it out of contempt of a 1998 consent agreement with the Ohio EPA.
Sewer Rate News
Baxter, Tennessee
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
July 28, 2008
Monday Headlines: Water Main Break Produces 50-Foot Geyser
A water main break in El Paso, Texas produced a 50-foot geyser and shot rocks, pieces of asphalt and debris at a home. (photo courtesy of KFOX)
Headlines
In California, swimmers are being warned to stay out of the water at four Alamitos Bay beaches after 12,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into Spinnaker Bay.
In Marin County, California, the Marin Municipal Water District is closing popular roads in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed so it can replace more than a mile of aging pipeline.
On Friday, a water main break caused a six-foot sinkhole in Perry Hall, Maryland. Water was shut-off to about 20 homes, while crews worked to repair the broken line.
Sewer Rate News
Jefferson City, Missouri
Lake City, Florida
Oak Forest, Illinois
Robbins, California
July 25, 2008
Friday Headlines: KC Gets Extension for Sewer System Plan
Kansas City has received a six-month extension to submit its plan to federal authorities for overhauling its sewer system. The city wanted the extension from the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in order to incorporate more “green” solutions in its sewer pollution problems.
Headlines
In Novato, California, clean up has begun on a sewage spill that came out of a manhole and went into a storm drain that empties into Novato Creek. A grease blockage caused the sewer backup.
Wichita Water Department workers worked into the night repairing three water main breaks that were impeding traffic and disrupting service to several homes.
Many residents in the Heights section of Houston were without water after a water main break. The water main break created a sinkhole that was nearly 10 feet deep, that a garbage truck struck, rupturing the truck’s oil pan and spilling oil all over the road.
In North Carolina, the North Coast Regional Water Board has fined the Fort Bragg Municipal Improvement District for “discharges of partially treated and untreated wastewater from its sanitary sewer system.”
Sewer Rate News
Gloucester, Pennsylvania
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Manteca, California
July 24, 2008
Thursday Headlines: Heavy Rain Causes CSO in Bay County, Mich.
Heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon caused of an overflow of partially treated sewage from a retention basin in Bay County, Michigan. More than 1.8 million gallons were discharged from the combined sewer system that takes in both stormwater and sanitary sewage in the same pipes.
In Delaware, with the municipal election just around the corner, Rehoboth Beach’s mayoral candidates quickly squared off over wastewater disposal alternatives.
The town of Porter, Indiana on will need a 60 percent sewer rate increase, in two phases, to bring the town’s system into compliance with Indiana Department of Environmental Management requirements.
Sewer Rate News
DeSoto County, Mississippi
Elkland, Pennsylvania
Los Altos, California
Ogunquit, Maine
July 23, 2008
Wednesday Headlines: Long Island Water Main Break Floods Streets
In Long Island, a residential street in Woodmere turned into a river after a water main broke, with a sinkhole nearly swallowing a car. Several streets in the area were closed to traffic because of flooding from the water main break.
Headlines
The Ohio EPA is seeking public comments on its draft approval of the city of Columbus’ wet weather management plan. The sewer system in Columbus currently discharges 1.65 billion gallons of sewer overflow in a typical year. Under the new plan, by the year 2025, these overflows would be reduced to 250 million gallons annually.
Water officials estimate Raleigh, North Carolina lost 200,000 gallons of water Wednesday morning after a water main broke in the city’s downtown area. The 12-inch pipe broke sending water gushing out of the ground and flooding a nearby parking deck.
A Gainesville, Georgia environmental specialist doing a routine check of sewer lines and creek inspections discovered a major wastewater spill Tuesday morning. It is estimated the overflow lasted between 48 and 72 hours, where approximately 50,000 gallons of wastewater spilled onto the ground and entered into a tributary of Balus Creek.
On Tuesday, state health officials in Oregon warned people to stay out of the water at Cannon Beach after 85,000 gallons of sewage overflowed from the waste water treatment plant.
Sewer Rate News
Orland, California
Sistersville, West Virginia
Wenatchee, Washington
July 22, 2008
Tuesday Headlines: Water Main Breaks Reveal GSO’s Aging Infrastructure
For the second time in a year, a sinkhole stopped traffic on a busy street in Greensboro, North Carolina, revealing the city’s aging water infrastructure. City engineers say it could take several decades before most of the pipes in the Greensboro’s older neighborhoods are refurbished
Headlines
In Seattle, a main line break that sent raw sewage into Elliott Bay from the Edgewater Hotel has been temporarily fixed. The upscale hotel had been inadvertently pumping raw sewage into Puget Sound since Friday after the hotel’s main sewer line broke. A permanent fix will take about a week to finish.
The sanitary sewer district in Richmond, Indiana issued a sewer overflow alert after heavy rains in the area.
Residents of three suburban Philadelphia communities are still being urged to boil their tap water after a water main break on Saturday.
Sewer Rate News
Caledonia, Minnesota
Des Moines, Iowa
McHenry, Illinois
July 21, 2008
Monday Headlines: Overflows Cost Sewer Systems $35 Million in Fines
Between January 2003 and February 2008, at least one-third of the nation’s large, publicly owned sewage treatment systems have been penalized by the EPA or state regulators for sewage spills or other violations. Total fines amounted to $35 million. The fines were assessed against 494 of the nation’s 4,200 municipal facilities that treat at least 1 million gallons of sewage daily.
Headlines
A major sinkhole caused by a water main break made this morning’s commute more difficult in Timonium, Maryland. Thousands of gallons of water rushed out of a broken 12-inch pipe at approximately noon on Saturday.
In Michigan, a Grand Rapids intersection was shut down Saturday night after a water main break flooded the roadway.
Homeowners living in the Spokane Valley area of Washington state woke up to flooding Friday morning after a water main break.
Sewer Rate News
Cedartown, Georgia
Locust, North Carolina
Manteca, California
Rutland, Vermont
July 18, 2008
Friday Headlines: Pipe Break, Sinkhole Snarls Traffic in Pasadena, Calif.
In California, all three lanes of the northbound Pasadena Freeway are open again after a huge sinkhole was repaired. According to Caltrans, the sinkhole was caused by the corrosion of a 30-foot storm sewer pipe which undermined the stability of the ground beneath the roadway. (photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
Headlines
Three major water mains broke in Fort Scott, Kansas during a 13-hour period this week. Decay of aging pipes is believed to be a primary cause for the breaking water mains.
In Pennsylvania, the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners have approved a $10.5 million plan to relieve backed-up sewers in the central Lehigh Valley.
A boil water alert remains in effect for some West Melbourne, Florida residents because of a water main break that occurred on Wednesday.
Flooding from broken water main in Kalamazoo, Michigan may keep a busy street closed until tomorrow. A break in an eight-inch water main underneath the road caused the surrounding area to rise a foot.
Sewer Rate News
McCook, Nebraska
Randolph, Massachusetts
Shiloh, Ohio
Teutopolis, Illinois
Water News Update 