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Last week's edition

About this Newsletter

February 7, 2005

Latest postings:

• OH: Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District: Research and Development Manager
• CA: City of South Pasadena: Maintenance Worker I, Water Distribution
• CA: Orange County Sanitation District: CIP Project Manager
• WA: King County Wastewater Treatment Division: Construction Management II-Facilities Inspection
• WA: King County Wastewater Treatment Division: Wastewater Treatment Operator

Want more? See all postings.

National/International News

—  Great Lakes News 

• 'Seiche' phenomenon hits often in Great Lakes, sometimes kills
  (Muskegon Chronicle, 01/30) "Thousands of tourists crowded the scenic beach to enjoy a long holiday weekend, unaware of the approaching tidal wave that would sweep them into a deadly natural disaster."
  
   
• Cities urged to get involved in Great Lakes protection efforts
  (Detroit Free Press, 02/01) "When high bacteria levels in Grand Traverse Bay forced beach closures a few years ago, no one from the state or federal governments rushed to the rescue."
  
   
• 2006 budget request for Great Lakes Legacy is $50 million
  (US Newswire, 02/04) "President Bush is requesting $50 million in the FY 2006 Budget to implement the Great Lakes Legacy Act. This is an increase of nearly $28 million and more than doubles the level funded by Congress in FY 2005."
   

—  Water Quality

• AwwaRF research summary on the Lead and Copper Rule
  (AwwaRF, 01/29) "Lead and copper levels in drinking water at the tap are regulated by the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)."
  
   
• NAE announces million-dollar safe drinking water challenge
  (National Academies News, 02/01) "The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced today the establishment of the Grainger Challenge Prize for Sustainability. This prize will award $1 million for a practical technology that can prevent the slow poisoning of people throughout the world as a result of arsenic contamination of drinking water."
  
   
• AWWA to announce results of perchlorate study in webcast
  (AWWA News Release, 02/02) "The American Water Works Association (AWWA) will present results of a national perchlorate occurrence study during a Feb. 9 Webcast, providing a comprehensive picture of where the substance has been found in water supplies and potential impacts on water systems."
  
   
• Massachusetts town comes up with two perchlorate solutions
  (North Adams Transcript, 02/02) "The committee charged with finding a solution to Mount Greylock Regional High School's drinking water problems is focusing on two main possible sources of perchlorate-free water."
  
   
• NSF International releases arsenic testing reports
  (WaterTech Online, 02/03) "Nonprofit product certification organization NSF International released four final reports yesterday that verify drinking water treatment technologies focused on the reduction of arsenic in potable water."
  
   
• Portland, Oregon mayor will fight EPA water rule
  (Oregonian, 02/03) "Mayor Tom Potter has waded into the long-simmering spat over a proposed federal rule that would require Portland to spend millions treating its drinking water."
   

—  Water Supply

• Manitoba official asks N.D. to halt Devil's Lake outlet
  (Grand Forks Herald, 02/02) "A Manitoba water official urged North Dakota on Tuesday to hold off on completing the Devils Lake outlet project until the International Joint Commission has studied the issue."
  

—  Water Resources

• Georgia's Savannah River radiation monitoring reduced
  (Savannah Morning News, 01/29) "On Tuesday the Georgia Environmental Protection Division quietly removed from the Savannah River six boats that monitored for radioactive material leaking from the Savannah River Site, a former nuclear weapons plant located on the Savannah River in Aiken, S.C."
  
   
• Fish farms prompt concern
  (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, 01/31) "Cooke Aquaculture Inc., the Canadian company that raises and processes the fish in Reserve Cove, is a major player in what has become the next agricultural revolution: fish farming."
  
   
• Serious threat posed by disappearing wetlands in Louisiana
  (PR Newswire, 02/02) "More than half the country does not believe that a tsunami-like disaster could happen on U.S. soil in the next few years, according to results of a recent poll released today on the occasion of World Wetlands Day."
  
   
• Ohio River traffic resumes as barge crash site cleared
  (Chicago Tribune, 02/02) "Traffic resumed early Tuesday along a 42-mile stretch of the Ohio River that was closed for nearly two weeks while salvage crews removed three runaway barges that had twisted themselves around a dam."
  
   
• Bill seeks to limit New Mexico's water regulations
  (Santa Fe New Mexican, 02/03) "Pending legislation would limit New Mexico's water-quality regulations to levels no stricter than federal standards. Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, said he's sponsoring the bill, Senate Bill 583, to help protect Eastern New Mexico's dairy industry."
  
   
• Los Alamos Labs stormwater runoff agreement signed
  (Albuquerque Journal, 02/04) "In a major step toward finalizing a state-ordered "fence-to-fence" cleanup of Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have signed an agreement that will regulate storm water management at the 43-square-mile nuclear weapons research facility."
   

—  Air Quality

• Audit: EPA minimized mercury risks
  (MSNBC, 02/04) "The Bush administration overlooked health effects and sided with the electric industry in developing rules for cutting toxic mercury pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general said Thursday."
   

—  Wastewater

• Austin, Texas, begins $9.8 million wastewater overhaul
  (Daily Texan, 02/01) "City and congressional leaders hailed the Shoal Creek wastewater pipe construction project Monday as an important measure to keep Austin's water and environment clean."
  
   
• WERF seeks proposals for security project
  (Water Online, 02/01) "The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) will release research funding totaling $275,000 for the development of a software model that aids wastewater treatment facilities in addressing hazardous events, either natural or man-made."
  
   
• New Hampshire wastewater plant staff lauded for quality of work
  (Portsmouth Herald News, 02/02) "Denis Messier, plant manager at Newington’s wastewater treatment plant, said it’s nice to be recognized for doing something right - even if it took 24 years."
   

—  Meetings

• Membrane Technology Conference and Exposition
  (AWWA, 01/27) March 6-9. "Pure water is the goal of every water utility. More and more, utilities rely on the use of membranes to cost-effectively supply superior drinking water to their customers. Membrane users have come to depend on the AWWA Membrane Conference and Exposition to learn about the latest technologies."
  
   
• Awwa Research Foundation Technology Transfer Conference
  (AwwaRF, 02/01) March 24. "This workshop will review asset management as applied to buried water system infrastructure. The primary focus will be on management of distribution system infrastructure, including specific types of common pipe materials and condition assessment for those materials."
   

—  Everything Else

• Brown and Caldwell’s Mike Leonard re-elected as VP for AWWA
  (Brown and Caldwell, 02/01) News Release. "The American Water Works Association recently announced that Mike Leonard, client services manager at environmental engineering firm Brown and Caldwell, will return as vice president of the association for a second one-year term starting in June."
  
   
• AWWA publishes new book: Water Conservation Oriented Rates
  (AWWA, 02/01) "This book discusses the utilization of water conservation-oriented rates (WCORs) to foster both sustainability of water provision and environmental stewardship, especially during periods of drought."
  
   
• AwwaRF Trend Paper: Update of Strategic Assessment of the Future of Water Utilities
  (AwwaRF, 02/01) "This document identifies societal, business, and utility trends that are shaping the drinking water industry and identifies some potential implications of these trends for water utilities."
  

Illinois

—  Water Supply

• Du Quoin to lose Tamaroa as water customer
  (Du Quoin Evening Call, 01/31) "A $500,000 loan from the USDA will allow Tamaroa to tap into the Rend Lake Conservancy District for its water supply."
  
  

• Blending wells eyed as radium fix for Lake Villa
  (Waukegan News Sun, 01/31) "Blending two shallow wells with the deep well in Lake Villa that is testing higher than the allowable standard for radium is probably the best and least expensive solution to the problem, according to Lake Villa Mayor Frank Loffredo."
  
  

• Pekin applauds Peoria water-buyout referendum
  (Peoria Journal Star, 02/01) "The Peoria City Council's decision Monday to pursue an advisory referendum was met with mild applause from Pekin city officials who also are pursuing a buyout of their water district."
  
  

• North Chicago boil-water advisory lifted
  (Waukegan News Sun, 02/01) "A water boil advisory issued Sunday by the city ended at midnight Monday. The city advised residents to boil water because of high levels of turbidity or cloudiness found in a sample taken on Sunday, said John Patterson, water superintendent."
  
  

• Pike Water District receives grant and loan for expansion
  (Pittsfield Pike Press, 02/03) "The Pike County Water District has received a $1 million USDA Rural Development grant and $1,215,000 low-interest loan for Phase Six of its expansion project."
  
  

• Edwardsville tries to solve water problem 
  (Edwardsville Intelligencer, 02/04) "Hundreds of Edwardsville residents and businesses throughout Edwardsville were without water Friday morning because of a near community-wide problem with the city's water service. Due to the problem, a city-wide boil order is in effect for the city of Edwardsville."
  
  

• Orland Hills considers booting water supplier 
  (Daily Southtown, 02/06) "Orland Hills is contemplating using its condemnation power to take over the town's privately owned water system, village officials said."
  

—  Wastewater

• Lanark awaits state funding for sewer project
  (Freeport Journal Standard, 02/01) "Lanark officials are optimistic that the recent completion of a sizable sewer replacement project will greatly benefit residents and improve efficiency and operations at the city's wastewater treatment plant."
  
  
• Lexington outlines options for sewer fix
  (Bloomington Pantagraph, 02/07) "Residents may have to pay more on their water bill or more sales tax, maybe both, to pay for a multimillion dollar sewer upgrade."
  

—  Brownfields

• Environment grant money for Minooka
  (Joliet Herald News, 02/02) "The state has agreed to help fund one and potentially more of the village's environmental projects. About a month ago, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency awarded $39,529 to Minooka through the Municipal Brownfields Redevelopment Grant."
  

—  Landfill/Solid Waste

• Joliet landfill may face contempt charge
  (Chicago Tribune, 02/02) "As Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his influential father-in-law try to patch up their tempestuous relationship, the owner of the Joliet landfill that provoked their bitter public feud may be dragged back into court by state environmental regulators."
  

—  Everything Else

• Canton OKs upgrading water, wastewater plants
  (Peoria Journal Star, 02/02) "The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved $19.1 million in upgrades to the city's water and wastewater treatment plants."
  
  

• DuPage water is cheaper, but bills don't fall
  (Chicago Daily Herald, 02/07) "The DuPage Water Commission is expected to consider lowering water rates for its municipal customers. But if Lake Michigan water is coming out of your faucet, and if history is any judge, don't count on seeing a dip in your monthly water bills."
  

Indiana

—  Water Supply

• Water testing available for Gibson County flood-affected residents
  (Princeton Daily Clarion, 02/01) "The Gibson County Health Dept. is asking residents who may want to have their water tested after the recent flooding to use the Vanderburgh County Health Dept. offices in Evansville for testing."
  
  
• Evansville water plant gets ready for oil spill
  (Evansville Courier & Press, 02/04) "Evansville's water purification plant began preparing Thursday for this morning's anticipated arrival of an oil spill from a pipeline that ruptured near an Ohio River tributary about 260 miles upriver."
  

—  Water Resources

• Flooding just part of nature in Indiana
  (Indianapolis Star, 01/30) "Elizabeth Mahoney has learned to keep her waders handy. Nine times in the past six years, including twice this month, her neighborhood near 80th Street and Keystone Avenue has flooded -- the last time the water was up to her chest."
  
  
• Senate bill would penalize feeding operations for water violations
  (Richmond Palladium-Item, 01/31) "Dutch-owned megadairies like the Union-Go Dairy planned for Randolph County have become controversial in Indiana because many of them have been cited for violating clean water rules through manure spills."
  
  
• River measure gets unlikely endorsement
  (South Bend Tribune, 02/01) "Environmentalists expressed cautious support Monday for a bill that would lower water quality standards for Indiana's rivers."
  
  
• EPA: wetlands violations near Indianapolis airport
  (US Newswire, 02/03) "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently cited the Indiana Department of Transportation, Atlas Excavating and Larry Fitzgerald, for illegally filling in wetlands near the Indianapolis International Airport."
  

—  Wastewater

• Sewer line to promote growth in east Hobart
  (NWI Times, 01/30) "Officials are anticipating a building boom along U.S. 30 on the city's east side as work to complete a sanitary sewer extension in the area nears completion."
  
  
• Activists oppose CSO penalties
  (Decatur Daily Democrat, 02/01) "Environmentalists told a Senate committee on Monday that they support legislation that would protect Indiana's cities and towns from costly penalties as long as they are working to fix their overflow-prone sewers."
  

—  Landfill/Solid Waste

• Solid waste transfer site proposed for New Haven
  (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 02/04) "A transfer station that could ship up to 500 tons of solid waste every day has been proposed on 73 acres east of New Haven – a renamed reincarnation of a facility approved by the Allen County Board of Zoning Appeals nearly two years ago."
  

—  Hazardous/Toxic Waste

• Calumet Container cleanup reports due soon
  (NWI Times, 01/30) "State and federal environmental authorities are wrapping up surveys of the former Calumet Container site and are expected to release their data soon."
  
  
• Depleted uranium not a topic for Jefferson Proving Ground board
  (Madison Courier, 02/03) "Radioactive depleted uranium that the Army left behind at Jefferson Proving Ground won’t be discussed anymore by the JPG Restoration Advisory Board."
  

—  Everything Else

• Elwood water bills could rise to fund upgrades
  (Newslink Indiana, 01/31) "Price increases may be on the horizon for Elwood residents. The city incurred almost $170,000 in violation fines from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for its water and sewage treatment."
  
  
• City to intervene in Portage mobile home park water dispute
  (NWI Times, 02/04) "They aren't sure yet what they can do, but city officials are stepping into a months-long dispute over billing for domestic water at Cottonwood Community Mobile Home Park."
  

Michigan

—  Water Quality

• Boil water advisory for New Haven
  (Macomb Daily, 01/29) "New Haven residents were under a 'boil water' advisory Thursday through Friday morning as a result of a valve problem in the water system."
  
  
• Setback won't halt St. Clair County water-quality classes
  (Port Huron Times Herald, 02/02) "Despite a financial setback, St. Clair County Community College intends to unveil at least part of a new water-quality curriculum by fall."
  

—  Water Resources

• Grant will fund Traverse City water workshops
  (Traverse City Record-Eagle, 02/02) "This spring, science teacher Kim Clark will march her students out of the classroom to collect and test water samples."
  
  
• Lakes protection seen as key to future of cities
  (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette, 02/02) "Although public officials in Michigan's lakeshore cities often bear the brunt of problems affecting their cities through Great Lakes water policy, they seldom have played a leading role in developing regulations and programs for protecting the lakes."
  
  
• No new zebra mussel reports filed in Oakland County
  (Daily Oakland Press, 02/02) "Something unusual happened with zebra mussels in Oakland County last year. No one reported any additional infestations in county lakes."
  
  
• Metro Detroit residents in new floodplains brace for bills
  (Detroit News, 02/03) "Carlo Santia is a township planner, so he knows the risks -- and added insurance burden -- of living in a flood-prone area."
  
  
• Foundation seeks Supreme Court review of Michigan wetland case
  (Detroit Free Press, 02/04) "Property rights advocates are renewing their crusade on behalf of a Michigan landowner who could go to prison and pay millions of dollars in fines for illegally filling wetlands."
  
  
• Volunteers needed for Hamburg Twp. water study
  (Ann Arbor News, 02/04) "Volunteers are needed for an annual program that takes samples from Hamburg Township's waterways. People interested in participating in this summer's Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program are invited to a 1 p.m. meeting Feb. 12 at the Hamburg Township Senior Center, 10407 Merrill Road."
  

—  Wastewater

• Sewage releases risk health in Metro Detroit
  (Detroit News, 01/29) "Metro Detroit wastewater treatment plants have released more than 40 billion gallons of raw or only partially treated sewage into area waterways over the past three years, a volume so large that it surprised some environmentalists."
  
  
• Shelby Twp. to install sewers
  (Detroit News, 01/30) "Work will begin next month on a 3-mile-long sanitary sewer system that will serve as many as 10,000 residents."
  
  
• Handy seeks $4.8 million for sewer lines
  (Detroit News, 02/01) "A plan to bring sanitary sewer service to two large, affordable housing developments and municipal water to one of the developments will depend on financial help from Livingston County."
  
  
• Scio landowners seek sewage plant permit
  (Ann Arbor News, 02/01) "Two landowners in Scio Township are seeking permission to build a private sewage treatment facility for a development of 179 homes on a prime piece of land just west of Ann Arbor."
  
  
• MSU may be polluting Red Cedar River
  (WLNS, 02/04) "Michigan State University's college of agriculture and natural sciencesis under scrutiny for possibly polluting the Red Cedar River with animal waste."
  

—  Hazardous/Toxic Waste

• Mich. DEQ denies medwaste incinerator's permit application
  (Waste News, 02/01) "Michigan environmental officials have denied a new permit application for the state´s only medical waste incinerator, and they have begun procedures to shut down the controversial facility."
  

—  Everything Else

• DTE Energy: award to Michigan college for environmental education
  (PR Newswire, 02/01) "The DTE Energy Foundation today announced it awarded a five-year $265,000 grant to Northwestern Michigan College to establish the DTE Energy Freshwater Institute for Teachers, an innovative summer program that will enrich K-12 science education for students throughout the state."
  

Minnesota

—  Water Supply

• Radium too high in Coon Rapids well
  (Coon Rapids Herald, 02/03) "There’s too much radium in one of the city of Coon Rapids’ wells. But this is neither an emergency nor a concern for public health or the city’s drinking water supply, according to Bruce Thielen, public works superintendent."
  

—  Water Resources

• State warns Hermantown Wal-Mart of stormwater violations
  (Duluth News Tribune, 02/01) "The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has sent a warning letter to Wal-Mart saying its Hermantown store has violated pollution permits."
  
  
• State Senator has high hopes for Lake Redwood
  (Redwood Falls Gazette, 02/01) "At the turn of the 20th Century, Lake Redwood was promised by city officials to be the hot spot of southwest Minnesota, that rivaled Lake Como in St. Paul. In its heyday, the lake was a spot for family recreation. Few would dare set foot in that water today."
  
  
• Pipestone County working around minnows in building bridges
  (Pipestone Star, 02/02) "Commissioners said Tuesday that the cost of this bridge just increased by about $30,000 because the stream bed is prime grounds for the Topeka Shiner minnow."
  
  
• Fish vs. ducks: Conflict of interest arises over prairie wetlands
  (San Jose Mercury News, 02/02) "In the battle to save Minnesota's last wetlands and waterfowl populations, a new and ominous enemy has emerged. Fish."
  
  
• Met Council seeks feedback on water resources plan
  (South St. Paul Sun Current, 02/03) "It’s hard to overstate the importance of a quality water supply to the Twin Cities area and when the likely arrival of a million more residents by 2030 is factored in, that importance is even easier to see."
  
  
• Lake Vermilion tests yield surprising results
  (Timberjay News, 02/04) "Test results on Lake Vermilion sediment cores have shown a number of surprises and could indicate parts of the lake have been affected my mining activity in the region."
  
  
• Atrazine ban may be introduced in Minnesota
  (Minn. Public Radio, 02/04) "Atrazine, a common weed killer used by corn and sorghum farmers, is under attack in Minnesota. Environmental groups and several state lawmakers want to ban or restrict the chemical because some scientists have linked it to reproductive deformities in frogs."
  

—  Hazardous/Toxic Waste

• Univ. of Minnesota stadium site might require cleanup
  (Minnesota Daily, 02/01) "The University could possibly strike dangerous contaminants if it prepares to build a proposed on-campus football stadium, according to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency documents."
  

—  Everything Else

• State seeks Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport fuel-leak fines
  (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 02/03) "State pollution authorities are seeking $125,000 in fines and corrective actions costing more than $3 million for jet fuel leaks and related problems at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to a tentative settlement released Wednesday."
  
  
• Agency, Minneapolis-St. Paul airport agree on fuel leak repairs
  (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 02/03) "The Metropolitan Airports Commission must spend more than $14 million on airport improvements to repair two jet-fuel leaks discovered at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport two years ago that allegedly leaked into the Minnesota River."
  

Ohio

—  Water Supply

• Water main break causes Trotwood sinkhole
  (WHIO-TV News, 01/31) "Crews in Trotwood spent the morning making emergency repairs to a water main break."
  
  
• Ohio American issues boil alert in Marion
  (Marion Star, 02/01) "About 20 customers of the Ohio American Water Co. between Gooding and Smeltzer roads, including Pleasant Schools, are on a boil alert for the next 24 hours due to a leak on a water main in that area."
  
  
• Northside traffic in Marion detoured by water main break
  (Marion Star, 02/04) "The break is in a 6-inch water main break on Fairground Street between State and Main streets and crews were responding to the scene at about 8:30 a.m. today."
  
  
• Local company develops device to test safety of water supply
  (Marion Star, 02/04) "James Woodruff's newest invention is being designed to sniff out attacks on water supplies. The Ravenna man is developing a handheld detector that would identify chemical warfare agents contaminating troops' water supplies."
  

—  Water Resources

• Acid slowly moves down Ohio River
  (WTOV9 News, 02/01) "A Norfolk Southern Freight train carrying a corrosive chemical used in steelmaking derailed in a Pittsburgh suburb Monday, and now the Ohio Valley may feel the effects of the crash."
  
  
• Low water causing landslides along Ohio River
  (Ohio News Now, 02/02) "Some homeowners along the Ohio River and its tributaries are losing parts of their backyards as land caves in following flooding and an accident at a lock and dam."
  
  
• Tinkers Creek study: Pollutants go down drain
  (Akron Beacon Journal, 02/03) "Medicines, household chemicals flow into creeks; Ohio studies effect on fish. Tinkers Creek is a pretty, tree-lined stream that meanders through southern Cuyahoga and northern Summit and Portage counties. Its water quality is considered good, and it should be a good habitat for wildlife."
  
  
• Officials hope that railroad will fix eroding bank on Hocking River
  (Athens News, 02/03) "In 2003, the bank of Hocking River near the railroad tracks collapsed a few feet, bringing the river closer to the tracks. At the same time, the bank on the other side of the river also crumbled, uncovering and threatening an important water line for the city of Athens."
  
  
• Low fish population leads to investigation of Tinkers Creek
  (Akron Beacon Journal, 02/04) "Environmental regulators are puzzled as to why the fish population has not improved in the last 20 years in a creek considered to have good water quality."
  

—  Wastewater

• Toledo says it legally can dilute sewage
  (Toledo Blade, 01/31) "Toledo officials don't expect the city to be directly affected by next month's anticipated showdown over the Bush administration's controversial plan to let municipalities dilute their sewage effluent."
  
  
• Riddell defines reasons for Delphos wastewater plant
  (Delphos Herald, 01/31) "The construction of a new wastewater plant will occupy much of the city’s finances and priorities in 2005."
  

—  Landfill/Solid Waste

• State orders Toledo towing yard to remove 15,000 tires
  (Toledo Blade, 02/01) "The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the owner of a Toledo towing and salvage yard to remove about 15,000 tires that he has illegally collected on his Whittier Street property."
  

—  Everything Else

• AK Steel gets nod from Sierra Club
  (Cincinnati Enquirer, 02/01) "AK Steel doesn't get many kudos from the Sierra Club. But even the environmental group, which has dogged the steelmaker over air and water pollution issues, likes what it sees in AK's recent moves to improve its relationship with the community."
  

Wisconsin

—  Water Supply 

• Utility line conflicts could cost Brown County authority $8.5M
  (Green Bay Press-Gazette, 01/31) "Power and natural gas lines may need to be moved or protected along the 65-mile route of a proposed suburban water pipeline, requiring some $8.5 million in additional work, a Green Bay utility has told state regulators."
  
  
• Commission dives into southeast’s water supply challenges
  (Waukesha Freeman, 01/31) "Water problems have been an underlying current that has made many waves in Waukesha County, whether it be providing a water supply in New Berlin or helping solve the radium content challenge in Waukesha."
  
  
• Elkhorn needs state approval for water improvements
  (Janesville Gazette, 02/01) "Elkhorn Light and Water Utility is seeking state approval to spend $3.84 million to dig a well and expand a water treatment plant, improvements that officials say are needed to keep pace with growth and aging equipment."
  

—  Water Resources

• Milwaukee County volunteers monitor water quality
  (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 01/31) "Hiking down to a river or stream to learn how water quality is measured has been a fun outdoor activity for generations of Wisconsin schoolchildren and nature lovers. Now it is becoming serious business."
  
  
• Shrinking populations of tiny fish warns of development
  (Natural Resources Magazine, 02/01) "Some fish species are fast disappearing from Wisconsin waters, even from lakes with the best water quality."
  
  
• DNR rejects proposal for Grafton Costco store
  (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 02/02) "The state Department of Natural Resources will not allow a warehouse-style store, owned by Costco Wholesale Corp., to be built as proposed on a marshy 32-acre site near the southeast corner of I-43 and Highway 60."
  
  
• Volunteers gather two years of Bad River water data
  (Ashland Daily Press, 02/03) "Two years of water quality monitoring was completed with a recent quality control session. At 13 locations in Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties, volunteers for the Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA) collect simple chemistry data the first weekend of every month; a process which takes about two hours."
  

—  Livestock Waste

• Hearings will address laws for large livestock operations
  (Green Bay Press Gazette, 02/03) "State agriculture officials have scheduled 12 public hearings statewide, including two in Manitowoc, to gather input for a rule to implement a law regulating the siting of large livestock operations."
  

—  Landfill/Solid Waste

• Court will hear arguments in Brown County waste station dispute
  (Green Bay Press Gazette, 02/04) "The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear oral arguments March 1 on Brown County’s appeal in its ongoing dispute with the village of Hobart over the construction of the county’s waste-transfer station in the village."
  
  
• Walworth County ready to decide on Mallard Ridge Landfill
  (Janesville Gazette, 02/04) "Mallard Ridge Landfill anticipates expanding by 48 acres this year, and Walworth County appears to want to continue to cash in on revenues from the area's waste-collection site."
  

—  Everything Else

• West Salem: Pay for water to put out fires?
  (Coulee News, 02/04) Homeowners outside the village of West Salem who require the services of the West Salem Fire Department may soon be paying for the water used to put out the fires."
  
  
• Appellate court rules in LaCrosse Premium Water lawsuit
  (LaCrosse Tribune, 02/04) "The Wisconsin 4th District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that La Crosse County Judge Michael J. Mulroy was mostly correct in two summary judgments in a lawsuit filed by the bottler of LaCrosse Premium Water, but it reversed part of one judgment."