(Editor's note: This story has been updated to inform readers of the death of Davey Albright, who was originally reported to be in critical condition after his fall into a drainage pipe.)
A sophomore from Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, has been pronounced dead two weeks after floodwater swept him away into an underground drainage pipe during a thunderstorm.
The 15-year-old boy, Davey Albright, was reportedly playing near a drainage ditch in his backyard when he fell down and was swept away.
He was carried about the length of a football field underground to the back of a neighboring home, where people reported being able to hear cries for help emanating from the storm drain. First responders discovered the boy unconscious and unresponsive, and he was transported to a hospital. The boy’s friends have set up a GoFundMe page to assist Albright's family with expenses here.
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Considers Private Partnership
The Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Water and Sewer Authority is facing a choice between spending $2 billion to replace its aging infrastructure and hitting 80,000 residents with significant rate increases, or partnering with a private entity to absorb some of the cost.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto says he wants PWSA to stay publicly owned, but is open to the idea of a partnership in hopes it would create more revenue.
A number of companies have reached out already to the city offering to provide water, and Pennsylvania American offered to purchase PWSA as a whole.
EPA Announces Over $300 Million in Funding for Water Projects in New York and New Jersey
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it awarded $222.5 million to New York and $84.5 million to New Jersey for water infrastructure projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment. The funds will primarily be used to upgrade wastewater and drinking water infrastructure systems throughout the two states.
“Working with our state and local partners to ensure our communities have affordable access to clean drinking water remains a critical priority for EPA," says EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “We are pleased to provide significant funding as part of our overall efforts to help New Jersey meet its critical water infrastructure needs.”
The EPA awarded $177,159,000 to the New York Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $45,363,000 to the New York Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The funds, plus a 20 percent state match and repayments from prior loans, combined with interest earnings and bond issuances, will enable the financing of up to approximately $1.3 billion of water infrastructure projects in the New York.
In New Jersey, the EPA awarded $65,589,000 to the New Jersey Clean Water State Revolving Fund program and $18,957,000 to the New Jersey Drinking Water Revolving Fund program. The awards, plus a 20 percent state match and repayments from prior CWSRF and DWSRF loans, combined with interest earnings and bond issuances, will enable the financing of up to approximately $450 million of clean water and drinking water infrastructure projects in New Jersey.
