Posted on January 13, 2022
PADEN CITY, W. Va. – Ever had a problem with the septic tank in your yard? The cost to replace it, and consequences if you do not, can really stink – even more so when the problem is on a community-wide level.
That is why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is partnering with Paden City to upgrade the sanitary sewer collection and treatment facilities in Tyler and Wetzel counties as part of a $2 million environmental infrastructure project.
While the project is not replacing the septic tanks in the counties, the project will improve the plant’s treatment processes and prevent further pollution of the city’s local waterways. The project includes installing aeration blowers and a new mechanical dewatering system in the sludge holding tank; constructing an equipment storage building; and replacing sections of the sanitary sewer-collection system.
“Our partnership with the town will help ensure residents have safe and reliable services for many years into the future,” said Col. Adam Czekanski, district commander, Pittsburgh District.
Col. Czekanski, attended a meeting on Jan. 6 to sign a Project-Partnership Agreement with officials to kickstart the project. Signing the agreement is the first step in improving the treatment plant’s efficiency while reducing inflow and infiltration within the local collection system.
Best of all, this partnership enables the city to fund this project without increasing costs to taxpayers. The government is sharing the cost of the project with the city at a rate of 75 to 25 percent, respectively.
“By partnering with the corps, the city can improve their service to the community without increasing the community’s taxes,” said Scott Swansinger, project manager, Pittsburgh District. “This project will improve their wastewater treatment plant’s efficiency, reduce pollutants released into the waterways and minimize the risk of line breaks.”
Contract work is expected to be complete by mid-2024.
The project is being completed under Section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act. The WRDA authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide design and/or construction assistance to non-federal interests for carrying out water-related environmental infrastructure, resource protection and development projects in West Virginia.
