First responders recently rescued a water utility employee who fell while working 30 feet underground at the Riverside Water Treatment Plant in Waco, Texas.
Waco's technical rescue team used specialized equipment, including atmospheric monitoring, to ensure a safe rescue in the confined space. The worker was safely removed and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Watch a video of the rescue here.
Helene Destroys North Carolina Town's Water Treatment Plant
Officials in Mitchell County, North Carolina, are working to restore water and wastewater services after severe flooding from Hurricane Helene left the county’s primary wastewater treatment facility in Spruce Pine inoperable.
Although some areas have regained water services, Spruce Pine's wastewater plant remains offline, leading to untreated wastewater potentially flowing into local rivers and streams. Efforts to educate residents about avoiding flushing are ongoing, and the county faces extensive damage, including destroyed homes and businesses. The timeline for full restoration is still unknown. Read more from the Asheville Citizen Times.
EPA Awards $14.4 Million to Improve Water Quality Across Mid-Atlantic
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced $14.4 million to improve the health of local waterbodies in Delaware ($1.3 million), the District of Columbia ($1 million), Maryland ($2.3 million), Pennsylvania ($4.8 million), Virginia ($3.2 million), and West Virginia ($1.9 million).
This annual allocation is part of the Clean Water Act’s Section 319 grant program and is intended to curb nonpoint source pollution which occurs when runoff from rain or snow carries pollutants into waterways such as rivers, wetlands and groundwater. Read more about it here.
