KC Water in Kansas City, Missouri, is reporting a wastewater overflow into the Little Blue River thanks to someone cramming a bunch of exercise equipment into a manhole.
Authorities are calling it vandalism, and they say more than 30,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed into a storm ditch carrying water to the river, where crews installed warning signs.
Workers removed the exercise equipment, but the manhole cover was damaged and will require repairs.
Dayne Walling, the former mayor of Flint, Michigan, is trying to make a comeback running for the Michigan House of Representatives. The only issue is that he’s the man best remembered for pushing the button that switched Flint’s water connection to the Flint River, kicking off a lead poisoning epidemic.
Walling wasn’t among the criminal indictments related to the Flint Water Crisis, but some activists say he’s still complicit in its cover-up. He’s up against five opponents in the Democratic primary slated for Aug. 7.
After spending more than $10 million on new software in an effort to enhance the accuracy of its water bills, the city of New Orleans instead has experienced an increase in customer complaints.
An investigation into some problem bills revealed that the new Cogsdale billing software used by the city took into account usage amounts from inaccurate bills when estimating charges.
“If you had a bad read the month before and that is a part of your estimation method, then your estimate will be high,” one representative told 4WWL News.
For example, one family reported not receiving a bill the first six months after moving to the city. When they finally received a bill, the system showed all that water use in a single month and estimated that amount per month going forward.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission recently approved a $177 million plan to replace lead service pipes for Indiana American Water over the next 10 to 20 years, according to Associated Press.
Estimates show than upwards of 50,000 lead lines could be in service under the utility, which serves approximately 1.3 million customers.
