When the City of Hamilton learned that some of its storm sewer lines were cross-connected with a sanitary sewer and had been discharging into Hamilton Harbour for decades, local officials took action in accordance with industry best practices, according to the city’s auditor general. The City of Hamilton’s Office of the Auditor General released a new report in November that found the cross-connections were the result of faulty design and construction drawings, as well as complex piping network drawings that made issues difficult to identify. In at least one instance, contractors were directed ..read more

Following minor delays from wildfire damage to a reservoir and chlorinator, British Columbia’s Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant is now in the first phase of delivering up to 70 million litres of drinking water per day to the City of West Kelowna.  The opening of the $75-million plant marks the completion of the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history. The three-storey, 5,100-square-metre plant was built on a 9.7-hectare city-owned property that will serve some 18,000 residents. “This is a landmark day and Council and everyone at the City of West Kelowna are very excited to s ..read more

AECOM has been selected by Metro Vancouver to provide engineering services for the design and construction of a new sewer pipeline as part of the Stoney Creek Trunk Sewer Upgrade project.  The original trunk sewer, installed in 1959, is now undersized due to substantial regional growth and increased groundwater infiltration due to aging infrastructure, local officials said. It is also situated in an environmentally-sensitive area prone to operational challenges intensified by its location at the bottom of a steep ravine and several direct home service connections.  The new sewer pipe ..read more

An international group of scientists warn in a new study that relying on mechanical cleanup devices to clear plastic pollution from oceans and waterways can not only be a distraction from more effective cleanup solutions, but also cause harm to aquatic life. The new study examines plastic removal technologies (PRTs) such as Seabins, which skim floating debris from the sea surface by pumping water into a bin device, as well as other raking or sieving vehicles. The researchers suggest that PRTs, such as bins that automatically capture sea waste, collect “trivial amounts” of plastic (0.0059 kg pe ..read more

The town of Maple Creek, located in the southwestern part of Saskatchewan, mistakenly sent out a province-wide drinking water alert last week that was meant only for its 2,000 local residents.  The alert to boil water for at least one minute before drinking it, washing fruits and vegetables, or brushing teeth, was sent as a warning due to a water main break that led to depressurization of Maple Creek’s water distribution system.  While the alert was clearly directed towards residents of Maple Creek, it reached cellphones across Saskatchewan. Patrick Boyle, spokesperson for the Saskat ..read more

An Ohio appeals court has vacated a lower court’s approval of a massive class action lawsuit against several major manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, suggesting claims of liability were too broad.‘ The dismissed lawsuit is among thousands that have been filed against 3M, DuPont and Corteva Inc., among others in recent years, over alleged PFAS contamination. In this instance, lead plaintiff and former firefighter, Kevin Hardwick, sought liability against 10 manufacturers over five PFAS compounds found in his bloodstream. Appeals court Circuit Judge Raymo ..read more

Two former executives are facing bid-rigging charges in connection with an alleged conspiracy surrounding Quebec City infrastructure contracts, Competition Bureau Canada has announced.  Both individuals were charged under the Criminal Code with conspiracy to rig bids, conspiracy to commit fraud, and fraud over $5,000, for incidents that allegedly occurred between September 1, 2006, and November 19, 2010. The individuals, employed by consulting engineering firms, are accused of conspiring to divide municipal infrastructure contracts among their firms.  “The recent charges brought befo ..read more

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has announced its support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new proposal to accelerate the removal of some 9.2 million lead service lines across the U.S., but also recognized the realities attached to such an ambitious goal.  The EPA’s newly-proposed rule on November 30 would ramp up water utilities’ annual lead service line replacement quotas from the current rate of 3% to 10%, with the target of replacing the vast majority of lead pipes within 10 years. While the $15 billion for lead service line replacements allocated by Congres ..read more

The Ontario Town of Renfrew, near Ottawa, has signed a new 10-year contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to expand the services provided by the not-for-profit Crown agency. By extending OCWA’s services to include the management of water distribution, as well as wastewater treatment and collection, three municipal staff will be transferred to OCWA once the new agreement commences in January. Wastewater collection consists of a Class 2 subsystem, including six pumping stations, while water distribution covers a Class 1 subsystem for a water tower and booster station. OCWA has alrea ..read more

The Ontario Town of Renfrew, near Ottawa, has signed a new 10-year contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to expand the services provided by the non-for-profit Crown agency. By extending OCWA’s services to include the management of water distribution, as well as wastewater treatment and collection, three municipal staff will be transferred to OCWA once the new agreement commences in January. Wastewater collection consists of a Class 2 subsystem, including six pumping stations, while water distribution covers a Class 1 subsystem for a water tower and booster station. OCWA has alrea ..read more