News Briefs: Robotic Camera Finds Alligator Lurking in Florida Sewer

Also in this week's sewer and water news, a lost diamond ring is reunited with its owner after spending 13 years in a Minnesota WWTP

News Briefs: Robotic Camera Finds Alligator Lurking in Florida Sewer

An urban legend has turned into reality in Oviedo, Florida, where engineers discovered a 5-foot-long alligator inhabiting the local sewer system. Initially dispatched to investigate the cause of potholes appearing on a road, a wheeled robotic camera was sent underground where it captured footage of the reptile in a storm water pipe.

The crew operating the robotic camera was taken aback when the creature turned to reveal its long tail, confirming it as an alligator. The alligator retreated down the pipe after a brief standoff with the camera. Check out a video of the encounter below:

Diamond Ring Reunited With Owner After 13-Year WWTP Odyssey

A diamond ring lost in sewage for 13 years has been returned to its owner thanks to the efforts of employees at a Minnesota water treatment plant.

John Tierney, a mechanical maintenance manager at the plant in Rogers, found the ring while shoveling debris from equipment. He and his coworkers took to social media in an attempt to find the owner, describing the dirty discovery as “like a needle in a haystack.”

Their efforts paid off, and the ring was eventually reunited with its owner, who said it had been lost almost 13 years ago.

EPA Announces WIFIA Loan for Drought-Prone Santa Cruz, California

In conjunction with Infrastructure Week, the U.S. EPA announced a $128 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to the City of Santa Cruz, California, to upgrade its drinking water system to be more resilient to drought and climate change. With this WIFIA loan, EPA is helping the City of Santa Cruz protect its water supply and deliver safe, reliable drinking water to nearly 100,000 residents.

Located in a drought-prone region, the City of Santa Cruz is wholly dependent on local water supplies. With this WIFIA loan, the city will modernize critical facilities by converting existing groundwater wells into aquifer storage and recovery wells and updating its raw water conveyance pipeline. Ultimately, the city will be able maximize the use of all water sources in response to climate impacts. The project will also support treatment process upgrades to address current and emerging contaminants, as well as source water quality variability.



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