MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) heard a presentation from Strand Associates, Inc., about system-wide capitol improvement needs and received updates on several important projects.
The combined total of all the capitol improvement proposal is about $64.1 million.
An engineer from Strand Scott Stearns said an evaluation determined the system will reach capacity, or experience a “peak day” where conservation orders are issued in the next several years and continued growth has not slowed. Mountaintop Beverage is still working up to their need of 1 million gallons per day as production increases, and if demand dictates, those water needs could grow very quickly.
“We’ve got here 2029, and it could be 2029, 2032, but it’s probably not going to be 2045,” Stearns said. “You’re probably going to have a capacity issue 32 at some point in time.”
Engineers looked at the entire system and the infrastructure that, in some cases, has not been upgraded in decades.
“The Water Treatment Plant upgrades, and everything else circles around that,” Stearns said. “Then you have watermain projects, elevated storage tank projects, booster station projects, and customer metering.”
The River Water and High Service Pumping station at the MUB facility on Don Knotts Boulevard has been in use since the 1950’s, and the last time any improvements were made to the site was in 2010, according to Strand Associates Engineer Sam Hocevar. The new facility would have a first floor and basement compared to a single floor at the existing building. The basement level allows important valves and equipment to be placed inside for easy access. Currently, the facilities are in areas, some under ground outside the building, that require monitoring.
“Right now they are buried either under the existing structure or in the yard in valve pits, and it’s very difficult to access or change,” Hocevar said. “All of this would be really easy to get to in a configuration like this.”
The capital improvements include new booster trucks and distribution systems for outlying areas. Proposed main extensions into growth areas and a new, up-to-date electronic meter reading system. The plans include a new stand-alone disinfection building that would be safer for the storage and use of chlorine and updated lab areas.
General Manager Mike McNulty said the pre-bid meeting for the Cheat Lake Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrades was held today, and four contractors attended and conducted a site visit. The project bids on Sept. 24 and is estimated to cost about $39.6 million and comes with a rate increase of at least 91 percent.
“Right now, I think we’ve had very little negative feedback,” McNulty said. “I think everyone understands this project is desperately needed in order to continue to grow.”
MUB also awarded a contract for a sanitary sewer extension into the Harner Run area where about 65 townhomes are being built. The apparent low bidder for the work was Parrotta Paving at $651,339.75.
“There is 1,500 feet of gravity sewer line, some manholes, 2,100 feet of 3-inch forced main, and two new lift stations,” Rogers said.
The four contractors awarded work on the Chaplin Hill water and sewer extension west of I-79 valued at about $14 million are expected to get started in the middle of November.
Work on Popenoe Run drainage improvements will start in the coming weeks as well. Shorty Anderson’s Auto Repair has refused to sign a right-of-way agreement without a $150,000 cash payment, but McNulty and Sixth Ward Morgantown Councilor and MUB Board member Dave Harshbarger said they are trying to make contact with the business to work out an alternate deal.