According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than $87 million in federal funding earmarked to fix Flint, Michigan’s infrastructure hasn’t been collected because the city has requested reimbursement on too few projects.
In a recent letter to the city’s mayor, EPA Acting Water Division Director Thomas Short Jr. urged the city to advance its schedule of projects to complete work during the grant period which ends Dec. 31, 2021.
The EPA originally awarded Flint $100 million in funding through its Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
Flooding Leads to 6.9 Million-Gallon Spill in Georgia
Heavy rainfall in early March caused flooding in the DeKalb County, Georgia, sewer system and led to the spilling of 6.9 million gallons of diluted wastewater.
Public works officials say the spill was caused by stormwater infiltration through aging infrastructure. Of the system’s 70,000 manholes, 16 overflowed during the rain event.
Chicago's MWRD Announces Employees Will Telecommute
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently announced all of its employees not directly involved with critical wastewater treatment and stormwater management will be on call and telecommuting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our wastewater treatment plants will continue to be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to protect the health and safety of the residents of Cook County, protect Lake Michigan, and protect businesses and homes from flooding,” read a statement from MWRD.
