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Home News Index All Wastewater News 2005 Wastewater News 2003 Wastewater News
2004 Wastewater News
December, 2004
Sewer
fees would raise millions for clean water
Minnesota has become the land of 10,000 polluted lakes, rivers and streams,
a coalition of environmental, business and farm groups said Monday while calling
for $80 million in new sewer fees to pay for cleanup. Homeowners would be charged
$3 per month and businesses would pay between $120 and $600 per year for each
sewer hookup under the "Clean Water Legacy" proposal. The money would
pay for improvements to local sewage treatment plants and measures to reduce
runoff from farms, with some of the money earmarked to protect pristine bodies
of water. Duluth News Tribune _12/20/04
The source of two-thirds of California's drinking water, the Delta now may get a clean-up as Contra Costa County officials propose new law to regulate pollution from vessels, establish mooring and anchoring regulations and define rules regulating the long-term use of houseboats. San Francisco Chronicle_ 12/7/04
November, 2004
Federal cuts in Clean Water State Revolving Fund delay sewer repairs
The Bush administration proposed trimming the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which finances water infrastructure projects, from $1.3 billion in 2004 to $850 million in 2005. Congress pared back the fund, leaving the program at about $1 billion for fiscal 2005. Jackson Citizen Patriot/Mlive_ 11/22/04 (logon required)
Tucson urged to recycle sewage to meet drinking water needs
Pumping treated sewage into the ground so it can be reclaimed as drinking water could help sustain Tucson's water supply in coming decades, says the director of the city's water company. Such effluent now trickles into groundwater outside Tucson's water supply. But putting it below Tucson Water wells is among some difficult - and maybe unpopular - moves the city should make now to avoid problems later, Tucson Water Director David Modeer said. Tucson Citizen_ 11/20/04
Florida environmental groups plan suit over wastewater injection wells
The Volusia-based Wetlands Alert and the Surfrider Foundation of Palm Beach want the federal government to stop permitting and paying for projects the groups fear may be polluting the state's ocean and underground supply of drinking water. The groups are particularly concerned about wells that discharge wastewater into the ground. State officials said no wastewater wells exist in certain areas and in other places they are safe. Daytona Beach News-Journal_ 11/13/04
Researchers say the cause is too much estrogen in the water, a natural female hormone that is found in every sewer system. But also, they say, certain chemical compounds in detergents and soaps can mimic estrogen. Estrogen mimickers are believed to be caused by chemicals called nonylphenols, found in everything from paints and rubber to cosmetics and plastics. They are considered a possible cause of kidney, eye, liver and reproductive problems. They’ve been banned in much of Europe and are under review in Canada, but are still common in America, where they are flowing out of sewage plants and into clean water flowing into America's rivers. Since finding evidence that estrogen may be turning male fish into female fish, scientists are now looking at what it means for the nation's drinking water. MSNBC_ 11/8/04
More than 30 years after the Clean Water Act gave the federal government broad authority to control water pollution, weak state regulation and booming growth in Delaware are threatening waterways throughout the state. News Journal_ 11/07/04
October, 2004
The researchers, led by Baylor toxicologist Bryan Brooks, are attempting to determine whether the levels of antidepressants accumulating in the fish tissue could alter fish behavior by relaxing them to the point that they no longer fear predators and are no longer motivated to breed. The pharmaceuticals likely come from a Denton wastewater treatment plant, which during dry summer months serves as the main source of water into the creek. Based on current information, Brooks said he does not expect any impact to humans who might eat fish from the creek. But he said more study is needed because the effects of the chemicals in surface water is not well understood. Star-Telegram_ 10/24/04 (logon required)
It may be difficult to grasp how flushing the toilet could be considered a political act. Yet gallons upon gallons of waste that enter the city's sewer system every day must go someplace, and deciding where, and how it arrives there, can be deeply contentious. New York Times_ 10/3/04 (logon required)
September, 2004
American Water Services, a subsidiary of American Water which is a division of RWE Thames Water, will partner with Sioux City to manage its existing treatment plant while implementing an estimated $26.1 million capital expansion project over the next two years. Press Release_ 9/28/04
Great Falls, Montana extends Veolia Water's wastewater contract another 10 years
Valued at $25.7 million, the contract extends Veolia Water North America Operating Services' operation and maintainence the city's 21 million-gallon-per-day secondary wastewater treatment facility along with 26 lift stations, plus collection and analysis of industrial pretreatment samples. Great Falls will continue to experience rate stability and have guaranteed environmental compliance with the extended agreement. Veolia Water, formerly known as USFilter Operating Services, provides water and wastewater services to approximately 600 communities across North America. The company is part of Veolia Water, the No. 1 water company in the world. Press Release_ 9/27/04
New
Mexico fines trailer park operator $261,000 for sewage violations
The Chamita, New Mexico park's sewerage system used two septic tanks to dispose
of waste. System failures resulted in discharges that surfaced at the park
on several occasions. Wastenews_ 9/14/04
Thames Water was asked by the London Assembly's Health Committee why it pumped one million tonnes of sewage into the river during August's storms. The firm said the solution is a £1.5 billion tunnel under the Thames but added it would take 10 years to build. The Environment Agency said the health of the river's users could be affected. Last October, the London Assembly warned that the city's Victorian sewage system could not cope with large amounts of rainwater falling during a short period. BBC News_ 9/14/04
The defamation suit, filed in the Fifth Civil Court, accuses environmentalist Ramiro Gomez Pardillo of damages and defamation and seeks to make him pay damages of 68,558 (US$5,910) -- the cost of a newspaper ad the city took out to answer his accusations. Gomez Pardillo, head of the Association for the Environmental Protection of Acapulco's Waters, said the lawsuit is a retaliation for his charges that sewage and waste water from local hotels were being allowed to drain directly into the bay.The city government maintains that water tests carried out in July and August at the beaches in question showed pollution within acceptable limits; Gomez Pardillo countered the complaint predates those tests. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 9/10/04v
Six-mile
wastewater tunnel under Belfast to transform Northern Ireland's
River Lagan
The tunnel will solve the long-standing problem of floating sewage following torrential rain. An antiquated sewer system means that heavy rainfall brings an overflow, and with it all sorts of rubbish, straight and un-treated into the river. The new tunnel will transport excess water and its associated pollution away from the river. BBC News_ 9/7/04
Virginia
State Water Control Board endorses $1.1 billion plan to clean wastewater
from Chesapeake Bay
The proposal would require plants in the bay watershed treating localities'
sewage and factories' wastewater to install modern systems to reduce discharges
of nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Most do not have such systems. AP/WTOP_
9/1/04
August, 2004
Contaminated
wells may be cause of mystery illness that hit more than 1,000
visitors to Ohio island getaway in Lake Erie
E. coli, a bacteria found in fecal matter, was found in six wells belonging
to a deli, a winery, resort cabins, a cave that is a tourist attraction and
two residences on South Bass Island, Jay Carey of the Ohio Department of Public
Health said. A team of 30 investigators, including three from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control, were trying to determine if septic systems had somehow
contaminated the wells or private water systems. Reuters_ 8/27/04
The survey will be used by water planners to chart the county's water future, said Bill Jacoby, the authority's resources manager. More than 90 percent of respondents agreed with using recycled water for freeway landscaping and golf courses. Eighty-seven percent support bringing it inside buildings to flush toilets. There is 70 percent approval for using it on crops as agricultural irrigation. When it comes to pouring it into recreational lakes, support drops to 49 percent. And forget about drinking it. Even with additional treatment, 63 percent oppose using it for potable, or drinkable, water. San Diego Union-Tribune_ 8/16/04
UK scientists to use DNA to trace sources of sewage in estuaries
University of Exeter researchers say they will first focus on Escherichia coli, or E.coli bacteria, a bacterium that lives in the intestines of humans and animals and are expelled in faeces. Most strains are harmless, but some can cause illness. The researchers hope to distinguish populations of E.coli found in human guts from those living in the cows, pigs and others. A teaming of biologists and geographers will help tie bacterial sources and the sediments in which they are found to an origin within a 10-20km area. BBC News_ 8/11/04
Traces of Prozac 'found in drinking water' throughout UK
An Environment Agency report suggests so many people are taking the drug nowadays it is building up in rivers and groundwater via treated sewage water. A report in Sunday's Observer says the government's environment watchdog has discussed the impact for human health but there is no monitoring for levels of drug residue in the nation's drinking water. A spokesman for the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) said the Prozac found was most likely highly diluted and not a health hazard. BBC News_ 8/8/04
Los Angeles to pay $2 billion to settle thousands of sewage spill complaint
The settlement also requires the city to rebuild and repair thousands of miles of sewer lines, increase the system's capacity and plan for future expansion, according to the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The money will come from increased sewer fees. The complaint was made by Santa Monica Baykeeper, an environmental group that monitors water quality in the Santa Monica and San Pedro Bays of Southern California. Los Angeles operates one of the largest sewage collection systems in the country with 6,500 miles of sewer lines. Since 1994, the city has experienced more than 4,500 spills, according to federal officials. Reuters_ 8/6/04
Waste
water glitch repaired
Winnipeg is treating its waste water to the best of its ability after losing
a computerized component for nine days.
A lthough the city didn't announce the initial equipment breakdown, officials
said there was no attempt to conceal the malfunction. Winnipeg Sun_7/13/04
Water,
fresh from the sewer
City looks to recycle wastewater
Reusing treated water is an emerging trend in Texas - most notably in San Antonio,
which uses the water for extensive irrigation. When the water shoots out into
the Wichita River it is so pure "you could hold a glass of it next to
a glass of tap water and not see the difference," Water Superintendent
Daniel Nix said. "We can use this water,"..."And every gallon
that we use of that saves a gallon of potable water. Times Record News
_7/11/04
San
Francisco first California county to require dentists to filter
mercury before it hits sewage treatment plants: Other Bay Area
counties to follow
The largest controllable source of mercury to Bay Area sewage treatment plants
comes from thousands of dentists flushing the toxic metal down the drain when
they fill their patients' cavities. The San Francisco county Public Utilities
Commission is requiring about 600 dentist offices to get wastewater treatment
permits -- just like other businesses that discharge toxic chemicals -- and
install $1,000 filtering devices. San Francisco Chronicle_ 6/30/04
$1 billion needed to clean water in Indiana's Maumee River Basin
Local communities in the river basin will need to spend a combined total of $1 billion over the next 15 years to meet federal clean water mandates. Sewage overflow is the main issue for all of the communities. WANE-TV_ 6/28/04
University
of Virginia's new storm water management system: it's pretty
The University transforms a field, long known as the Dell, into a masterful system that handles storm-water runoff while offering a parklike mini-arboretum, complete with a pond, stone walls, benches and an array of plantings representing the state's distinct flora. The 20-acre Dell, used for decades by students to play football or softball despite its bogginess, was redone at a cost of $1.2 million to handle runoff from Meadow Creek. Richmond Times-Dispatch 6/27/04
Global
sewage torrent harms young says World Health Organization
The amount of raw sewage entering the river Ganges every minute is 1.1 million
litres. WHO's Atlas Of Children's Health And The Environment says large quantities
of sewage are also flushed into rivers, lakes and oceans worldwide. One gram
of faeces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite
cysts and 100 worm eggs. WHO reports up to a million lives could be saved annually
by hand-washing. BBC News_ 6/23/04
United States grants $13 million to help Mexico clean raw sewage from the border-crossing New River
The river originates in Mexicali, Mexico, and ends at Imperial Valley, California, and has been used for roughly a decade as a dumping ground for raw sewage from Mexicali. About 20 million gallons of raw sewage is poured into the New River each day. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 6/24/04
Reclaimed
water shortages in Florida's dry season tarnish the promise
Customers signed up for recycled water for outdoor watering. In the dry season, suppliers cut back and there's no solution in sight. Most of the year, facility operators have more reclaimed water than they can get rid of. The seasonal shortage triggered by spring weather has made water providers go divining for other water sources – like stormwater runoff – that can be stored and injected into the reclaimed water supply. Florida Today_ 6/13/04
May, 2004
Clark
County, Nevada plans to widen use of recycled wastewater to help with
drought
The county Water Reclamation District is planning a 10-mile pipeline across
the region to deliver recycled water to more parks, schools, cemeteries and
golf courses. The pipeline could cost $23.7 million and be completed within
three years. The fast-growing region with about 1.6 million people is nearly
drawing its limit of drinking water from the Lake Mead reservoir at Hoover
Dam. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 5/26/04
In
Olympics of Sludge
There are many types of New York City championships, but how many are held
in a sewage treatment plant? The Operators Challenge is held annually to determine
the city's highest-performing sewage treatment workers. And the winning team
is...the Jamaica Hackleheads! New York Times_ 5/16/04 (logon required)
Missing
employee's body found at Spokane, Washington sewage plant
Officials originally described the accident as an explosion but later said
it was a rupture caused by excessive pressure. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_
5/12/04
Tank
explodes at Spokane, Washington sewage plant dumping 200,000 gallons
of sludge into Spokane River; one presumed dead, three injured
The four sewage treatment plant workers had gone to check on an unusual pressure
buildup in the tank and were either on or near it at the time of the explosion,
Fire Chief Bobby Williams said. The cause of the pressure buildup and explosion
was under investigation. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 5/11/04
St.
Martinville, Louisiana officials look to swamp to solve wastewater
woes
The city is facing a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit after spending $3.5 million
on a sewer plant that has never worked properly. Construction is expected to
begin this year on a “wetlands assimilation” system in which sewage
will be filtered through a more than 400-acre swamp just outside the city,
said Mayor Eric Martin. The system, developed by a Louisiana State University
professor and used in a handful of municipalities in the state, is touted as
a way to clean sewage while feeding the swamp. Lafayette, Louisiana Advertiser_
5/10/04
Bill
moving through California legislature would bar cruise ships from dumping
``graywater'' in coastal areas
The measure follows legislation enacted last year that barred cruise ships
from dumping sewage and oily bilgewater into coastal waters. AP/San
Francisco Chronicle_ 5/6/04
EPA
says Oakland, California must quickly halt 'unacceptable' sewer
spills: more than 1,000 in less than five years
Pipes in the city's 80-year-old system are clogged by fast food restaurant
grease and tree roots. City officials have until November to outline plans
to reduce and eliminate spills in the city's 1,020-mile network of sewer pipes
and pumping stations. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $32,500
a day. Oakland plans to spend $60 million over the next five years on capital
improvement projects that include repairing and replacing parts of the sewer
system. San Francisco Chronicle_ 5/4/04
Antibiotic
impact on water bacteria: 'New frontier for research in wastewater
treatment'
Kansas State University research on the Kansas River basin tracks trace levels of human antibiotics in wastewater discharged into the river from municipal sewage treatment plants. Engineering professor Alok Bhandari said the substances increase the potential for bacteria to develop resistance to common antibiotics. Municipalities in the basin eventually might be forced to find ways to screen the life-saving drugs from drinking water, the researcher says. Topeka Capital-Journal_ 5/4/04
Conservation already has decreased water use by 10 percent but regional authorities in the Central Valley say more aggressive conservation could help keep bills down. City officials want the state to ease up on requirements for cleaning wastewater. Manteca Bulletin_ 5/4/04
ZENON
selected to supply Fulton County, Georgia wastewater project with
world's largest membrane bioreactor
New ZENON projects totaling $50 million will treat more than 40 million gallons
of wastewater per day in Florida, Arizona, Washington, California and New Mexico,
as well as Georgia. Press Release_ 5/3/04
Dispose of Your Waste Water and Save Money Doing It!
Jamaica's state-run Scientific Research Council (SRC) is getting ready to embark on an aggressive promotion of its biodigester septic tank system hoping to cash in on the many spin-off benefits. SRC executive director, Dr Audia Barnett, is enthusiastic about the technology: "You are treating your waste water. You are getting gas, which you can use for cooking. You are getting water you can use for irrigation and you are getting literally no waste." The Jamaica Observer_ 5/2/04
April, 2004
Arkansas floods strain water treatment plants
Huge amounts of sediment have washed into the White River, making Beaver Lake water its muddiest ever. Water treatment plants reported murky water at record levels. Heavy flooding south of Fayetteville caused sewage overflows at lift stations and manholes. Overflows are common problems during heavy rain or flooding. Additional flow from storm water mixes with regular sewage. NWAOnline.com_ 4/27/04
SARS
outbreak in Hong Kong traveled on microscopic airborne water droplets
starting in the bathroom
A new study by Chinese University, Hong Kong says SARS contaminated a whole
block of apartments when bathroom exhaust fans sucked the virus up through
flaps in the floor drain. Invisible, aerosol-sized droplets of water carried
the virus to other parts of the building (the building had 36 floors). Medical
News Today_ 3/21/04
The
same goop that clogs your arteries can stop up the sewers: New Port
Richey, Florida fights back with a grease inspector and a $1.14 million
grease processing plant
A special grease compliance inspector, hired last summer, is visiting businesses
to make sure they have grease traps to keep the gunk from simply going down
the drain.
And the grease processing plant is being built to handle the truckloads of
grease trap sludge - an improvement over the current practice of mixing the
grease with treated sewage.St. Petersburg Times_ 4/12/04
Water
Environment Federation to study ways to improve U.S. water and wastewater
infrastructure
The Water Environment Federation, founded in 1928, is a nonprofit educational
organization that works toward the preservation and enhancement of the global
water environment. The federation´s network includes water quality professionals
from 79 member associations in more than 30 countries. Waste News_ 4/9/04
Denver to recycle wastewater to irrigate parks, schoolyards other publicly-owned spaces
The $75 million system goes online April 15 and will save enough water to supply 35,000 households. Denver will join dozens of cities from South Florida to Southern California, including 12 in Colorado, that are chemically cleaning wastewater to stretch their supply for drinking and washing. Denver Post_ 4/8/04
EPA
decides not to issue stormwater effluent guidelines for construction
sites
Almost every state and many local governments already have requirements that
are at least as stringent as those the EPA had proposed in 2002, according
to the agency. Waste News_ 4/5/04
Arizona
becomes 6th state given authority to regulate sewage sludge
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will have regulatory authority
over the land application, surface disposal and landfilling of sewage sludge.
State rules prohibit the incineration of sewage sludge. Waste News 4/3/04
Ohio
cities working to phase in rules for stormwater runoff
New Ohio Environmental Protection Agency stormwater regulations
require that municipalities take steps to ensure stormwater discharges
are as unpolluted as possible. The discharges are produced by runoff
from paved streets, rooftops, parking lots and construction sites
when it rains or snows. Columbus Business First_ 4/2/04
The commissioners are afraid
to add more debt to the water budget. But if they don't do something, officials
say the current wastewater treatment plant will reach capacity in 2006. Rockdale
Citizen 4/4/04
China's steel price increases worry Arizona wastewater plant builders
As China’s economic expansion drives up the demand and price of steel,
officials in three East Valley municipalities are waiting to see how this could
affect costs when construction of a $150 million wastewater plant begins later
this year. The plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2006, and its
treated wastewater will be shipped to the Gila River Indian Community to fulfill
Mesa’s end of a deal where tribal rights to Central Arizona Project water
are given to Mesa in exchange for effluent the tribe can use for irrigation. East
Valley Tribune 4/4/04
'Worst
thing you've ever smelled': Millions of gallons of raw sewage flows
into Texas river, closes park
A faulty gate at a wastewater treatment plant backed up 70 million gallons
of raw sewage at the Trinity River Authority's east Grand Prairie plant. The
force of the flow launched at least eight manhole covers skyward, geysers of
sewage rose as high as four feet, and part of a golf course and a park were
closed. AP/San Francisco Chronicle 4/1/04
March, 2004
Reed
City, Michigan wastewater plant getting back to normal
Breakdowns started at the end of February and caused 13 violations within the
month. Cadillac News 3/29/04
Houseboat
owners on California's Lake Shasta warned to find gray water solution
In less than three years it will be illegal to dump gray water — bacteria-laden
drainage from kitchen sinks, showers and hot tubs — anywhere in the lake.
The ban has already taken effect at marina docks. Redding Record-Searchlight
3/27/04
Florida
community opposes wastewater plant to serve the rich
The facility eventually could handle up to 2 million gallons of wastewater a day. Star Banner 3/28/04
Hamilton
Township, Indiana residents march in protest over $65 monthly sewer
bills
The sewer project for 1,600 homes is close to completion after more than a
year of delays. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management stopped
the project when early portions were done incorrectly. The waste district fired
- and later successfully sued - the original contractor and engineer.
Star Press 3/27/04
New
Hampshire state Senate passes Seacoast wastewater bill
The bill creates an administrative body, the Estuary Alliance for Sewage Treatment,
responsible for the construction and oversight of a regional wastewater treatment
system involving any towns that wish to participate in a system to pipe treated
water into the Atlantic Ocean. Hampton Union 3/26/04
Judge
dismisses Gwinnett County, Georgia's lawsuit over wastewater
The county sued the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District last October
after its board of directors adopted a water plan that could make Gwinnett
pipe its future wastewater to Lake Lanier. Gwinnett argued it was less expensive
to pipe it to the Chattahoochee River. Gwinnett Daily Post 3/26/04
Massachusetts
awards $458 million in low interest sewer and water loans
The money comes from the state's Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving
Fund and will benefit 85 environmental and planning projects in 62 communities. Daily
News Transcript 3/26/04
Washington
state strikes deal on dumping restrictions with cruise lines
But the agreement has critics complaining that the ships face negligible penalties
if they violate the deal. The voluntary agreement with the North West CruiseShip
Association -- an umbrella group that represents the three major lines that
call in Seattle -- bars all wastewater discharges in state waters except from
vessels equipped with advanced treatment systems certified by the U.S. Coast
Guard. AP/San Francisco Chronicle 3/22/04
Wastewater,
wastewater everywhere...
An innovative system for reusing waste water is helping high-growth Franklin
and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, add to the public coffers, cut users' water bills,
conserve potable water and reduce the impact of waste on sensitive streams. Nashville
Business Journal 3/19/04
Texas
water district studying treatment plant to serve Austin, Alamo City
At the same time that San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is beginning the search
for a new president and CEO to replace Eugene Habiger, the agency is seeking
more details on a plan that would have San Antonio and Austin share a massive
water-treatment facility. San Antonio Business Journal 3/19/04
Company
starts wastewater project in Tampa
Enviro Voraxial Technology Inc. in Fort Lauderdale announced the successful
installation and start of operations of its Voraxial grit separator at one
of seven wastewater treatment facilities operated by the Hillsborough County
Water Department. Tampa Bay Business Journal 3/18/04
Sierra
Club opposes another wastewater plant on Washington's Spokane River
For much of its course, Sierra Club says chemicals flow into the river from
five wastewater treatment plants, killing aquatic life. The local chapter is
trying to block a proposed sixth sewage treatment plant. AP/Long View Daily
News 3/15/04
Missouri
auditor faults wastewater aid program
A program that helps communities improve wastewater treatment systems has done
too little to find recipients for its pool of $260 million, a state audit said
Tuesday. AP/Kansas City Star 3/9/04
Texas
cities study regional wastewater solution
Saying it could be a boon for economic development, Austin and San Antonio
are among several groups looking at building a massive water treatment plant
to serve both cities and the areas between. Austin Business Journal 3/8/04
Hawaii
park closed as sewage spill hits 2 million gallons
City officials estimate that 2 million gallons of raw sewage spilled from a
ruptured 66-inch pressurized main that feeds into the Sand Island Wastewater
Treatment Plant Thursday, making it one of the largest sewage spills in recent
years. Honolulu Advertiser 3/6/04
Pasadena,
Texas uses new wastewater treatment mode
Years after being slapped with lawsuits and fines over its dilapidated sewer
plants, the city of Pasadena is operating a new $16 million high-tech wastewater
treatment system capable of handling more than two of the city's current sewer
plants combined. Houston Chronicle 3/5/04
California
community's planned wastewater plant can treat 2.2 billion gallons
Santa Rosa's City Council and Board of Public Utilities have signed off on
a wastewater disposal plant that could cost as much as $196 million. Press
Democrat 3/5/04
Wastewater
plan angers Michigan residents
A leading auto glass company's proposal to pipe treated wastewater through
a sensitive stretch of Lake Michigan sand dunes has upset residents and state
environmental regulators. AP/Detroit Free Press 3/1/04
February, 2004
Rain overwhelms San Francisco storm drains
As a founder of Delancey Street, San Francisco's well-known restaurant and residential drug treatment program, Mimi Silbert likes to try to clean up her own problems. But there are limits. And they were reached when she found her restaurant flooded with raw sewage and rainwater. San Francisco Chronicle 2/26/04
Collapse of a 90-foot wall causes spill of more than one million gallons of raw sewage in Shreveport, Louisiana. Shreveport Times 2/23/04
Operations Management International Inc. parts company with Santa Paula, California. Wastewater treatment won't be interrupted, city says. OMI has been part of an EPA investigation. Santa Paula Times 2/11/04
Alabama attorney general seeks to strip town of its power to run sewage plant after massive spill. More than 35 million gallons spilled undetected for at least five months. AP/Herald Tribune 2/11/04
Entire Wastewater Management Commission in a Rhode Island town quits. Volunteers complain about city council second guessing. Providence, R.I., Journal 2/9/04
January, 2004
Cape Cod had a tradition of free sewage treatment. Now officials gear up for a wastewater agency crusade. Cape Cod Times 1/31/04
Proposed Washington state legislation would crack down on cruise ships dumping wastewater in Puget Sound. AP/San Francisco Chronicle 1/27/04
Too many toilets. Too few pipes. Maryland county to hire 'sewer czar' to solve wastewater dilemma. Daily Times 1/26/04
Ionics, Inc. awarded multiple wastewater projects for Taiwan's largest semiconductor manufacturer. Press Release 1/26/04
Flagstaff, Arizona city council votes to sell reclaimed wastewater to ski resort for snow making. Plan still needs approval of U.S. Forest Service. Indigenous people view plan as desecration of the San Francisco Peaks. Arizona Daily Sun 1/22/04
European Investment Bank provides Euro 70 million loan to modernize and expand wastewater treatment plant near Cairo, Egypt. The EIB is the European Union's long-term financing institution. Press Release 1/19/04
Plan to dump wastewater into Georgia's Lake Lanier gets further study. Gwinett Daily Post 1/19/04
North
Carolina real estate developers are creating rural subdivisions thanks
to mini wastewater plants. Regulators say the systems
recycle water and keep wastes out of rivers and streams. Others are
skeptical. AP/Star News 1/18/04
Judge
orders Stockton, California to halt work on $57 million wastewater-system
upgrade saying it could harm environment. City and OMI-Thames
to appeal. Decision also requires city to take back control of water
system. Stockton Record 1/18/04
Feature: Pennsylvania's aging private septic systems spur need for community wastewater systems. But rural areas argue the cost it just too much. Towanda Daily and Sunday Review 1/12/04
Georgia chides city of Macon for not enforcing storm water runoff regulations. City says it doesn't have the money. Macon Telegraph 1/12/04
Embattled Atlanta's revised sewer repair plan will cost most customers more than the proposal rejected earlier by the city council, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis. Atlanta Journal-Constitution 1/11/04
Water
and sewer rates in Stowe, Vermont likely will increase because the
city isn't bringing in enough money to pay off $29 million in improvement
bonds. City under estimated how much customers would
use. Stowe Reporter 1/8/04
Key
West, Florida asks cruise ships to pump wastewater into sewage system. Goal
is to protect nation's only tropical marine preserve. Some ships say
their treated sewage is clean enough to drink. AP/Miami Herald
1/8/04
Black & Veatch announces world's largest potable water treatment facility that incorporates membrane filtration. Singapore project handles 72 million gallons per day. Press Release 1/7/04
Atlanta city council approves rate increases for $1 billion in repairs to its deteriorating sewer system. City was threatened with federal sanctions and a building moratorium for not fixing sewers. Atlanta Journal-Constitution 1/7/04
New Hampshire studies deep sea sewage solution. The $1 million study will determine if sewage from up to 44 seacoast communities should be channeled into a pipeline and pumped out to sea. AP/Portsmouth Herald 1/6/04
Environmental
groups urge San Diego to study turning sewage water into drinking
water. One serious issue is health impacts of drugs
in water supply. San Diego Union Tribune 1/4/04
Seven
years after a Florida county bought 175 acres to build a wetland to
filter wastewater, bulldozers and backhoes finally are shoveling and
plowing the idea into reality. Sun-Sentinel
1/4/04
E.P.A. to study use of waste from sewage as fertilizer. Public health and safety questions at issue in chemicals and other residue. New York Times 1/3/04
New
Jersey readies new storm water pollution and other contamination
rules. Trenton Times 1/2/04
Ohio
devising inland runoff protection for Lake Erie. Toledo
Blade 1/2/04
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