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PUB considers Worthington sewer study

PARKERSBURG — Officials presented three possible plans Tuesday to the Parkersburg Utilities Board for expanding sewer services into the Worthington area of Parkersburg.

The study was commissioned by the board in 2019 and looked at costs and challenges of bringing sewer services to housing developments along Old St. Marys Pike.

The first option would place a lift station near Mustang Acres and would cost about $6.9 million, officials said. However, maintenance of the station would be by bridge access, and officials warned if the privately owned bridge were to fail, the PUB would need to replace it in order to get to the station.

A second option mostly mirrored the first, but moved the lift station to the other side of Worthington Creek. Pipes also would run along the creek, and officials expressed concerns of water infiltration from the creek and groundwater damaging the system. That option would cost about $400,000 more as a second lift station would be needed for another area.

The third and most expensive option would include more precautions against water infiltration, but also would require several more lift stations and would increase the price to about $7.7 million. Officials also said as the number of lift stations and complexity of the network increase, so do the future upkeep costs.

Officials said the plans are being considered as the Worthington area continues to grow with several housing developments and the possibility of commercial buildings in the future. Most of those areas, including Mustang Acres, are serviced by individual septic systems.

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