The following is a transcript of the WaterWorld Weekly Newscast for April 9, 2018.
Hi, I'm Angela Godwin for WaterWorld magazine, bringing you water and wastewater news headlines for the week of April 9. Coming up...
Dry lime leak sends two water plant employees to hospital
EPA announces WIFIA funding opportunity
Mich. ends Flint oversight
Drinking water infrastructure needs $472B investment
Two workers at the Middletown, Ohio, water treatment facility were hospitalized last week after being exposed to dry lime that leaked from a bulk storage bin.
It's not clear what caused the leak but officials speculate that a valve may have malfunctioned.
In total, about 400 tons of dry lime escaped.
The two employees were taken to a local hospital for treatment and were reported to be in fair condition.
Fortunately, at no time was the drinking water distribution system compromised.
The U.S. EPA has announced the availability of WIFIA funding and is inviting Letters of Interest from any interested parties.
In the recently signed omnibus appropriations bill, the WIFIA program received $63 million in funding -- more than double what it received in FY17.
The first step in being considered for WIFIA funding is to submit a Letter of Interest by July 16, 2018.
From the letters of interest, EPA will invite select candidates to submit an application.
The agency has specified two types of projects as priorities for funding in this round: Ones that provide for clean and safe drinking water, including reducing exposure to lead; and ones that repair, rehabilitate, and replace aging infrastructure and conveyance systems.
For the full rules and application materials, please visit epa.gov/wifia
Last week, the state of Michigan ended its nearly 7-year oversight of the city of Flint, putting the city's elected officials back in charge of its finances.
State oversight began in 2011 after a financial emergency that led to a series of emergency managers.
It was under the leadership of an emergency manager that the city of Flint made the fateful decision to change its water source.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder acknowledged Flint's progress toward strengthening its financial path and said, "With continuing cooperation between the city and state, Flint has an opportunity take advantage of the momentum being felt around the city in terms of economic development."
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver released a statement expressing her excitement. "This will be the first time since 2011, that Flint will be free from emergency managers and state oversight," she said. "The women and men elected by the citizens of Flint should be proud of the progress we have made and will continue to make moving forward.”
The U.S. EPA has released the results of its 6th national Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey, which finds a 20-year capital improvement need of $472.6 billion in order to maintain the country's drinking water infrastructure.
The Needs Survey is conducted every four years and is used to help determine the allocation of Drinking Water SRF funds to the states.
The primary areas of need include:
$312.6 billion to replace or refurbish aging or deteriorating pipelines
$83 billion to construct, expand or rehabilitate infrastructure to reduce contamination
$47.6 billion to construct, rehabilitate or cover water storage reservoirs
$21.8 billion to construct or rehabilitate intake structures, wells and spring collectors
For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.
