Missouri American Water Co. says it has canceled $20 million in water main replacement projects this year due to uncertainty related to customer billing.

In March, a district court of appeals ruled the company could no longer collect a special surcharge because the statute that authorized it applied only to counties with more than 1 million residents, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. St. Louis County fell below that population in the 2010 census.

Missouri American Water Co. is reassigning workers, eliminating overtime and cutting contract work across its territory as a result of the court ruling. Spokesman Brian Russell says new projects to replace aging water pipes won’t happen now until a water main failure forces the company to fix it.

“Those main replacements are going to have to get fixed eventually, whether they’re in advance or after they’re broken,” Russell says.

The company and the Missouri Public Service Commission have asked the Missouri Supreme Court to review the decision.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Milwaukee Gets $1 Million to Begin Lead Pipe Replacement
Milwaukee will receive a $1 million loan from the state of Wisconsin to begin replacing 70,000 lead service lines throughout the city, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

According to the report, the first priority is to replace lead pipes that deliver water to 385 state-licensed day care centers. Officials say it will take three years to complete installation of new service lines at those locations.

The city expects it will take 30 to 50 years to replace all of the old lead water pipes in the city. Leaders are hopeful for additional funding since it will cost up to $756 million to replace all of the service lines, per the report. The city owns the lateral from the water main to the property line.

In related news, Milwaukee Water Works is expanding testing of drinking water for lead to include homes where sewer and water main construction projects could release lead from service lines. The tests will provide a better understanding of the impact of those constructions activities.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Water Authority Names Executive Director
Steve Disney was appointed executive director of the Bradford (Pennsylvania) Water Authority. Disney replaces Kim Benjamin, who will retire Aug. 15 after 33 years of service.

“I’ve got some very big shoes to fill,” Disney tells The Bradford Era. “The great thing is I’m going to get a chance to work with (Kim Benjamin) for a couple of months. He’s leaving the authority in a very, very good position, so I’m looking forward to working with Kim.”

Disney comes to the agency from Georgia Pacific, where he worked as a supervisor and in upper management for 33 years. He was born and raised in Bradford and is a member of the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Source: The Bradford Era