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Business Journals
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
How Missouri American Water keeps quality on tap
Missouri American Water has continued providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable water and wastewater service since 1886. With nearly 140 years of experience, the company has become a leader in the water and wastewater industry. Serving approximately 1.6 million Missourians, the company strictly follows regulations that are set by local authorities as well as federal standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Missouri American Water understands how important water and wastewater service is to daily life. When you need it, you expect it to be there. Water quality For 22 years, six of Missouri American Water's treatment plants have been recognized with the Directors Award from the Partnership for Safe Water, a voluntary initiative developed by six prestigious drinking water organizations including the EPA. For a second year in a row, Missouri American Water has won the 'Drinking Water Taste Test' award at the joint MO-AWWA/MWEA conference. The company's water quality reports are published online and are updated each spring. expand Investing in aging infrastructure Recently released grades from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, a comprehensive assessment of the nation's 18 major infrastructure categories, paint a grim and stagnant picture for water and wastewater systems across the U.S. Drinking water infrastructure received a grade of C-, while wastewater infrastructure earned a D+. These grades haven't changed or improved in the four years since the ASCE 2021 Report Card. With over a trillion dollars in infrastructure investments needed in water and wastewater across the country over the next two decades, American Water continues to work with local, state and federal leaders to provide expertise and investment in communities that need to strengthen their water and wastewater systems. Providing high quality water and wastewater service is a top priority. Customers and community leaders can view an interactive map of the company's pipe replacement projects. Projects are prioritized based on main break rate, system criticality and coordination with state and local governments. Passing of SB 4 Recently, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 4, a bill that will allow private utilities in Missouri to plan rates based on future costs versus historical costs. This helps utility companies, like Missouri American Water, plan for necessary investments while focusing on rate stability. Built-in projections help safeguard customers from being overcharged if actual costs are lower than estimated. Why future test year is good public policy: Incentivizes greater infrastructure investment Attracts business and makes Missouri more competitive for economic development Aligns Missouri with most other states which use modern rate-setting tools to balance customer protection and investment needs Keeps rates predictable by allowing utilities to invest in new technologies and perform necessary maintenance to improve reliability Excess charges will be refunded to customers if projected costs are overestimated, creating a fairer system where customers only pay for actual, justified expenses Helping communities solve water and wastewater challenges Missouri American Water provides 1 in 4 Missourians with water and/or wastewater services. The team of more than 700 industry professionals serves areas across the state. The company understands that reliable water and wastewater service is critical to community health and prosperity. Acquisition case studies: In 2018, Missouri American Water purchased the water and wastewater systems in the city of Lawson. The city was facing regulatory compliance issues with its wastewater system that would have required a significant rate increase to address. Since the acquisition, several key improvements have been made to the wastewater system in a cost-effective manner, including the addition of ultraviolet disinfection to the treatment process, construction and implementation of a new lift station, and installation of remote monitoring. Approximately 3,000 feet of water mains have been replaced and about 3,500 feet of new water mains have been added. Garden City was facing major compliance challenges for both their water and wastewater systems. Since 2015, they received 27 violations for drinking water from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Critical investments had not been made in an effort to keep rates low. In 2020, more than 67% of Garden City voters supported the ballot measure to sell the water and wastewater systems to make Missouri American Water their trusted water and wastewater provider. Immediately work began in 2021 to maintain regulatory compliance, including improvement of the chemical feed system and cleaning of the wastewater lagoons. With the sale, the city could retire its debt and have significant funds to address additional community needs. here. Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.6 million people. For more, visit
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Euronews
Four former VW executives found guilty of fraud in 'Dieselgate' case
Four former Volkswagen executives have been found guilty of fraud for their role in the so-called "Dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal that shook the automotive industry a decade ago. Judges at the Commercial Criminal Chamber in the German city of Braunschweig sentenced the former head of diesel development to four and a half years in prison, and the head of drive train electronics to two years and seven months. The other two defendants received suspended sentences of 15 months and 10 months. All four were responsible for various aspects of engine technology at the carmaker. The scandal began in 2015, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation. It accused the company of rigging engine control software to let diesel-powered cars pass emissions tests while they in fact emitted far more pollution when actually driving them. The scandal was a major crisis for the company, which has since paid more than €33 billion in fines and compensation to vehicle owners. However, despite the verdict after a four-year trial, this is far from the end of the story. Monday's sentence can be appealed within a week and prosecutors are continuing in their bid to find out how widely the emission fraud was known within the company. There are also reportedly several other criminal proceedings pending. Originally, former Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn was supposed to sit in the dock. However, his part of the trial was separated in September 2021 after his defence claimed he could not appear for health reasons. Emergency services are on site in Liverpool city centre after a vehicle struck several people who were on the street celebrating Liverpool's Premier League win. "We are currently dealing with reports of a road traffic collision in Liverpool city centre,' Merseyside Police said in a statement. "We were contacted at just after 6pm today, Monday 26 May, following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street. Police said the car was stopped at the scene and a male has been detained. "Emergency services are currently on the scene. We will issue more updates as we have them," police said. This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nine years later, EPA lifts emergency order on Flint's drinking water
Flint water plant | Susan J. Demas The United States Environmental Protection Agency on Monday lifted its emergency order on drinking water in the City of Flint, with agency Director Lee Zeldin announcing the city had met all the requirements outlined in the order. 'EPA has been working closely with our state and local partners in Flint, Michigan for several years to restore safe drinking water. It's been a long, arduous journey, but significant progress has been made over the last decade to revitalize their water infrastructure and ultimately achieve this goal,' Zeldin said in a video posted to YouTube. With water sampling placing the city in compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act Standards, and the city replacing over 97% of its lead pipes carrying water to homes, the end of the order will place the city under the normal obligations of the Act, Zeldin said. 'Our message to the residents of Flint, Michigan is simple. EPA will work with all other levels of Government to do its part to ensure your community has safe drinking water for decades to come. We will continue to be a partner to provide technical assistance to the city and state as efforts continue to maintain and upgrade water infrastructure,' he said. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, or EGLE, similarly voiced its commitment to ensuring Flint residents have access to safe water. 'Through the dedicated efforts of the state and our strong partnership with the City of Flint, we've made remarkable progress, replacing the vast majority of lead service lines and ensuring Flint's water meets stringent safety standards. Working with the city to ensure the complete removal of all lead service lines remains a top priority,' EGLE spokesman Scott Dean said in an email. The Flint water crisis began in April 2014 when the city of Flint switched its water source from Detroit-supplied Lake Huron water to the Flint River, and failed to treat the water with corrosion control leading to pipes leaching lead into the city's water alongside other contaminants. At least 12 people died as a result of the water crisis, with Genesee County Circuit Court Chief Judge David J. Newblatt eventually giving final approval to a settlement ordering the state to pay $600 million to residents and property owners whose water was contaminated. The city of Flint was also ordered to pay $20 million, McLaren Regional Medical Center was ordered to pay $5 million and Rowe Professional Services was required to pay $1.25 million. According to EGLE, Flint has met state and federal lead in drinking water standards for 18 consecutive monitoring periods with the latest round of monitoring noting that samples for the 90th percentile came in at 3 parts per billion below the federal requirement of 15 ppb. 'This moment is about the people of Flint—about their voices, their strength, and their determination,' Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in a statement. 'For nearly a decade, we have worked tirelessly to restore trust and integrity to our water system, as well as meeting rigorous standards. While this milestone marks progress, our commitment to clean, safe drinking water remains unwavering. We will continue to advance infrastructure, strengthen safeguards, and ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated. Flint families deserve nothing less.' However, Flint Water Activist Melissa Mays said the announcement came as a complete shock, telling the Michigan Advance there are still deficiencies in the City's water system and plenty of lead lines in need of replacement. While community members planned to gather Tuesday night to celebrate community members who successfully held the City accountable in progressing on its court-ordered lead pipe replacement program, Mays said while a celebratory announcement from the EPA was expected, Monday's message was not. 'Did we expect for them to bail before the work is done? No, no, that was a shock,' she said. 'That being said, looking at what this current administration is doing, yeah, the environment and people's public health and safety, clean safe water are not priorities. They're the opposite, apparently,' Mays said. While the city still struggles with rupturing water mains and residents continue to face issues with discolored, foul-smelling water, people cannot be expected to trust the infrastructure, Mays said, raising further concerns about where the EPA's decision leaves Flint and other communities as Congressional Republicans work to repeal updated limits on lead in water. 'It is infuriating that the EPA still hasn't even settled our civil cases yet, and the civil cases are based on the EPA not acting, not stepping in, not forcing the city and state to do the right thing. And here they're doing that exact same thing,' Mays said. While a federal judge ruled in February that Flint residents' case against the agency can move forward despite the EPA's arguments that it should be immune, the agency hasn't signaled that it's willing to settle, Mays said. 'That recourse of, 'hey, if the city messes up, you go to the state. If the state messes up, you go to the federal government.' We don't have that anymore. They're just like, 'well, you're on your own, and we're leaving you with the people responsible for causing the Flint water crisis,'' Mays said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Why the beautiful blue sky has become more hazy
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The haze has returned to our beautiful azure blue Central Texas sky. Why? There's a simple explanation. This is the season for agricultural burning in Mexico. This 'burning season' for our southern neighbors occurs during Mexico's dry season, which is essentially from the middle to March until May. The wet season in Mexico begins in June. This is the time when the farmers clear the land of unwanted vegetation, allowing for nutrients to return to their soils. This burning of the land also serves to help increase crops and grasses for the pastures. But this comes at a price to us here in Central Texas. When the wind comes out of the north, the area won't see any of this smoke. When the area's winds are coming out of the south, it allows for this smoke to easily come across the border to affect our sky. The smoke causes deteriorating air quality. It's not just ozone that causes poor air quality, but fine particulate matter, too. It has been mentioned many times in interviews with air quality experts, including the Clean Air Force of Central Texas, that fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is very small. It's smaller than a hair follicle. The diminutive size of this, as it is airborne, allows it to travel deep into a person's respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. So, for as long as this seasonal agriculture burning continues, and in conjunction with a prevailing south wind, the air quality will likely stay at moderate levels while also contributing to that hazy sky. Another factor is at play as it pertains to this springtime haze. Did you know that the high humidity also contributes to the haze? Humid days with sunshine make it easier for the sky to keep the fine particulate matter hovering in our area. The increased moisture will hold this fine particulate matter for days. Wildfires can cause a hazy sky. The smoke from wildfires is made up of 'a mixture of gaseous pollutants' like carbon monoxide, along with water vapor, and that same particle pollution. It's the particle pollution that, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, is the main 'ingredient' of wildfire smoke as well as the main public health threat. It's on days like the area saw on Friday, March 16, where it's suggested that those with asthma, seasonal allergies, and other respiratory issues limit their outdoor activities. Those with these kinds of issues go from such short-term effects as coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath to long-term effects far more serious, including an increased risk of heart and lung issues. So, what's creating this haze? A south wind is blowing fine particulate matter from the agricultural burning in Mexico, along with the higher humidity. But just as the burning season ends, another season begins. We're not too far away from still another factor that will make the sky hazy, and that is the dust that blows across the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf from Africa. The Saharan Dust Layer begins to arrive in the middle of June. It lingers on and off until the middle of August. We'll address that when it gets here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
India Today
15-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Why the possibility of a nuclear leak in Pakistan scared everyone!
The possibility of a nuclear leak in Pakistan has got everyone worried. Rumours of this spread like wildfire in the aftermath of India and Pakistan's military conflict. Matters weren't helped by the circumstances surrounding US intervention, a sudden ceasefire, a US emergency plane hovering around Kirana Hills, and an Egyptian plane flying in a zigzag pattern — all of this added fuel to the news reports suggest that the International Atomic Energy Agency denied any report of a nuclear leak, let's look at why speculation brought the world to its IS POISONA nuclear leak, that too from a military-grade warhead, would not only cause devastation in the short run, but also for thousands of years. We are already exposed to plutonium present in the environment, which came from nuclear testing that took place 80 years ago. This is due to the 24,110-year-long half-life of to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 'The microscopic particles from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing are dispersed widely in the environment. As a result, virtually everyone comes into contact with extremely small amounts of plutonium.'Plutonium-239, a key fissile material used in nuclear warheads, is one of the world's most toxic substances if inhaled. Only a gram of the substance leaked in the air can overdose one crore people, according to the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear CANCER RISKSWhile plutonium-239 inhalation causes the highest level of danger, there are other cancer-causing elements too. Iodine-131, caesium-137, strontium-90, and uranium-235 are among and caesium-137 are by-products of a nuclear fission reaction. They are also found after nuclear accidents. They cause thyroid cancer and muscle tissue cancer, respectively, according to the Centres for Disease Control and is also a by-product and is found after nuclear accidents. It acts like calcium and enters bones and teeth, causing cancer. Uranium-235 is a key component in nuclear warheads, and it can cause cancer in the lungs, bones, or liver if of this is extremely worrisome, and it makes sense why rumours of a nuclear leak in Pakistan cause mass panic there and in InTrending Reel
