Tag: Wastewater treatment

State Water Agency Invests $20 Million In Infrastructure Projects

The West Virginia Water Development Authority announced Wednesday that it would invest $20 million in water, wastewater and sewage infrastructure upgrades across the state.

The agency that oversees West Virginia’s water infrastructure, the Water Development Authority (WDA), announced Wednesday it would invest nearly $20 million in water system improvements across the state.

The new round of funding will aid 10 water, wastewater and sewage infrastructure projects in West Virginia. For years, water systems in the state have struggled due to aging infrastructure and decreased funding.

The funds come from the state’s Economic Enhancement Grant Fund, which has approved $400 million in projects since its creation in April 2022. 

The following projects will receive support through the new round of WDA funding:

  • Morgantown Utility Board, Monongalia County: $6,750,000 to renovate a wastewater treatment plant and a lift station to increase overall capacity.
  • Greenbrier County Public Service District #2, Greenbrier County: $3,527,000 to extend water service to about 360 new users in rural towns.
  • Hancock County Public Service District, Hancock County: $3,449,014 5o upgrade sewer infrastructure.
  • Putnam County Commission, Putnam County: $1,841,175 to provide potable water to the community of Custer Ridge.
  • Cottageville Public Service District, Jackson County: $1,350,000 to extend water lines to an industrial site in the town of Millwood.
  • Clarksburg Sewer Board, Harrison County: $1,000,000 to separate storm sewers.
  • Pineville, Wyoming County: $980,000 to upgrade water system.
  • Midland Public Service District, Randolph County: $365,000 to build two new tanks that store water.
  • Paden City, Tyler and Wetzel counties: $310,000 to replace water lines to address infiltration issues.
  • Spencer Waterworks, Roane County: $300,000 to replace a pump station.

Federal Funding Announced for Water, Wastewater Projects

Two southern West Virginia communities will receive nearly $2 million in federal funding for water and wastewater projects.

U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins announced funding on Wednesday for the Army Corps of Engineers projects for the communities of Fort Gay and Union. Jenkins said in a statement that Fort Gay would receive $975,000 to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant and Union would receive $975,000 to extend a water line to 111 new customers and build a water storage tank.

Jenkins says investing in water infrastructure is crucial for rural communities in West Virginia.

Bullet Holes Apparently Cause Water Treatment Tank to Leak

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection says a leaking water treatment tank in eastern Kanawha County isn’t believed to have affected drinking water and no fish kill was observed.

The agency says the initial investigation indicates the leak reported Monday was caused by two small-caliber bullet holes in the tank, believed to have occurred after Thursday evening.

The tank was holding a solution containing 20 percent sodium hydroxide to treat acid mine drainage. The leak allowed the material to enter treatment ponds uncontrolled, causing excessive pH.

Division of Mining and Reclamation inspectors found the tank is currently registered to a subsidiary of ERP Environmental Fund Inc. The Environmental Protection Department will issue notices of violation for inadequate secondary containment and exceeding effluent limits for pH.

WVU to Study Oil and Gas Wastewater

Researchers in West Virginia and Kansas want to get a better handle on how best to manage millions of barrels of dangerous wastewater produced across the United States by the natural gas industry.

Kansas University and West Virginia University just announced a joint research effort to identify safe, environmentally responsible management of the wastewater that is a byproduct of natural gas wells.

Researchers from the two universities acquired a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation in part to study the effects of drilling on surface water.

“You have three classes of potential contaminants: salts, organic compounds and some amount of radioactivity mainly in the form of radium,” said one of the lead researcher with the project, director of West Virginia’s Water Research Institute Paul Ziemkiewicz. He says management of wastewater, which the industry refers to as “produced water”, is a growing concern. The Department of Energy estimates 20 million barrels are produced each year.

“A lot of the produced water that was generated over the first wave of Marcellus development was largely being consumed in new well completions, and with the drop in gas prices, well completions have gone down and therefore we have this extra water accumulating,” Ziemkiewicz said. “We need to find a way to dispose of it, treat it, or something else.”

Researchers also hope to develop safe handling and treatment practices of the wastewater, as well as develop ways to avoid earthquakes when disposing wastewater into underground injection wells.

Antero Resources Plans Doddridge Co. Wastewater Treatment Plant

Antero Resources, an oil and gas company that operates in north central West Virginia, has announced intentions to build a wastewater treatment complex in Doddridge County to support its hydraulic fracturing efforts.

Antero signed an agreement with Veolia Water Technologies to build the facility. The company anticipates the complex with be able to treat 60,000 barrels of water per day.

The $275 million facility located off of Route 50 on Gum Run Rd. will allow Antero to clean flowback water used in the fracking process enough that it can be reused on other wells rather than disposed of in an injection well.

The company anticipates it will take two years to complete the wastewater complex and will be three years before it is fully functional.

Antero estimates the wastewater treatment facility will save them about 150 thousand dollars per well on future completion costs.

Gov. Tomblin praised the project announcement in a press release, calling it good for both the state’s environment and economy.

City of Salem Fined $82,000 for Wastewater Violations

The city of Salem is facing more than $82,000 in fines for environmental violations at its wastewater treatment plant.

In a consent order signed in early April, the state Department of Environmental Protection said it issued the plant a variety of violations starting in 2007. They ranged from creating sludge banks in Salem Fork of Ten Mile Creek to failing to report a large spill from a grit remover bagger system.

In monthly averages, the facility also exceeded its daily limit of several substances discharged into waterways. At times, levels of fecal coliform topped the facility’s permit limits by as much as 2,000 percent.

The order says Salem also didn’t comply with almost any requirements from a 2006 consent order, including quarterly reports.

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