Officials dedicate treatment facility
By JODY MURPHYPARKERSBURG - Several years in the making, officials christened the city's new multimillion-dollar wastewater treatment plant Friday in Parkersburg.
Parkersburg Utility Board Manager Eric Bennett, project engineer Scott Stearns of Strand Associates and Mayor Bob Newell delivered remarks to the few dozen people in attendance.
The concept of the facility came about in the 1990s, but construction on the project didn't begin until August 2005. The plant is nearly complete with a few minor items remaining to be completed.
The plant has been running at full capacity since April.
"It is a very expensive endeavor that needed to happen and will serve us well in the future," Newell said.
Bennett said construction costs of the plant ran about $48 million, while the complete cost of the facility is around $52 million.
Stearns said the new facility has double the treatment capacity to allow for residential and commercial growth and will reduce sanitary sewer overflows by 40 percent. Plant odors also have been greatly reduced.
"We don't have a percentage, but the reduction in odor is tremendous," he said.
Included in the project was a new preliminary treatment building, chemical treatment facilities, an effluent pumping station and administration building. The old administration building has been converted into a laboratory
Bennett said previous plant capacity was 9.66 million gallons a day. Normal capacity is 12.5 million gallons a day. The plant, which is hasn't been upgraded since the 1980s, is designed for a peak flow of 17 million gallons a day, but Bennett said it will not handle than much water.
The peak flow capability of the new facility has increased from 21 million gallons to 32.7 millions gallons per day.
Plant manager Wayne Boone offered tours of the facility to anyone willing the brave the cold, windy weather. Few took him up on the offer.
Tours of both the water and wastewater treatment facilities will be offered in the spring when it's warmer, Bennett said.
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KenJudy
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11-22-08 8:42 AM
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THis is a great thing for the city and the Utility Board. We need to keep ahead of the needs in water and sewer. I know most of the guys that work for the Board and they do agreat job of planning and keeping thing repaired. This was a much needed addition for them. Good job guys and try to stay warm this winter.
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