Facing the Inevitable
Much of the nation’s infrastructure was installed in the early 1900’s and needs to be replaced. Old pipes lead to a lot of problems: leaks, clogs, rust, lead, and backups are just a few. The unfortunate reality is that fixing the problems comes with a price tag and many think that paying more for water and sewer is inevitable. In Wareham, MA, Sewer Department Superintendent Guy Campinha commented that although water departments in need of upgrades know that additional costs to customers will not be popular, there are few options other than increased rates if the repairs are to be […]
Kentucky’s Flood of Infrastructure Issues
Across the nation, the issues of aging and failing water infrastructure are on the minds of many community leaders. Compounding the issue of age are environmental forces that are putting increased pressure on water and wastewater systems; specifically, flooding. Flooding has been rampant throughout the Midwest and Southeast this spring, and Kentucky is one of the many states that has been hit hard. In April, a disaster declaration that will provide funds to deal with some of the issues mounting from the flooding, was issued for 57 counties in the state; however, the funds won’t begin to touch the water […]
It’s Raining Taxes!
In Pennsylvania, many communities are charging, or considering charging, property owners fees to address storm water management. State-wide, communities must reduce storm water runoff that is depositing sediment in local water sources as outlined by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Latrobe is the latest area municipality to consider charging property owners to help meet its required annual reduction of 10 percent, or a minimum of 114,700 pounds of sediment, over five years. Michael Gray, Latrobe’s interim city manager, has said that the estimated cost of the fee plan is $2 million. Half of the funds would come from the […]
Parking Lots Going Green
Stormwater runoff is a big deal these days in the ongoing conversation about overrun water systems. Large impermeable surfaces significantly contribute to the issue, and many communities are considering charging fees to property owners, especially businesses, who have such surfaces, like parking lots. In Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, grant money is potentially available to create a “green” parking lot, a trend that may be on the rise. The proposed venture, estimated at just over $1 million, would rebuild the Central Parking Lot located next to the Park Ridge Public Library with brick pavers that are permeable. The […]
SW Welcomes Ann Joseph
As part of the collaboration with the Myers-Lawson School of Construction Advisory Board at Virginia Tech, Sustainable Water welcomes Ann Joseph as an intern in our Construction Management Division for the summer. Ann has been an intern or semester co-op for both heavy civil and water/wastewater construction companies in the past and enjoys the fast pace and interesting personalities in the construction field. Next year she will complete her degree in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech, and she hopes to start a career in water infrastructure. She sees this as an important industry to promote innovation since the demand for […]