Hancock County PSD reveals plans for wastewater system project
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NEWELL -- Representatives from the Hancock County Public Service District shared their plans for the Newell Wastewater System Sewer Project during a public meeting Tuesday in the Wells Building Auditorium.
About 20 area residents as well as the county commissioners were present to hear about the improvements brought about due to the Newell Company's petition filed with the West Virginia Public Service Commission Dec. 22, 2020, to declare them a distressed and failing utility and have their questions answered. The Newell Company, in its petition, asked the PSC to determine whether the county's PSD was a capable wastewater utility and that Hancock County PSD be ordered to take over Newell's wastewater system.
In September of 2021, the PSC made the ruling that Newell was a distressed utility and HCPSD was a capable wastewater utility and ordered them to take over and acquire the Newell Wastewater System.
"As a PSD, we did not want to do this. We have our hands full as it is at the present time, but the state says do it," Jerry Eberly, PSD chairman, said.
The system, according to information distributed during the meeting, consists of a wastewater treatment plant, a pump station, approximately 16,000 feet of gravity sewers, 1,500 feet of force main and 51 manholes.
The PSD retained the engineering firm of Herbert, Rowland and Grubic Inc. to complete a study of the Newell system and provide recommendations for repairs and upgrades.
After acquiring the system, the PSD has determined that they will pump the Newell sewage to Route 2 waste water treatment plant and make repairs such as replacing a large portion of the gravity sewer system at the Newell pump station along with other major repairs.
The wastewater system project will consist of:
— Construction of a new pumping station to pump the sewage from the Newell WWTP to Route 2 WWTP;
— Construction of approximately 21,000 feet of force main;
— Installation of an emergency generator;
— Upgrades to the Newell pump station;
— Replacement of 1,500 feet of existing force main;
— Replacement of approximately 12,000 feet of sanitary sewers; and
— Rehabilitation of some of the manholes.
Eberly said he wasn't sure how many of the sewer lines would be replaced, but it would be most of them.
Jeff Hughes, of the PSD, said they tried to run cameras through all the lines but many of them are clogged or messed up so they couldn't get a camera in them. About 20 percent of the lines looked good and about 80 percent of them will need to be replaced. The lines are all terra cotta, have gaps in them and have been there for years.
A chart was on display at the meeting showing the lines that would be replaced. Along with the chart were several photos taken with the cameras they tried to run through the lines showing root balls growing through lines, clogged lines and broken lines.
The total project cost is currently estimated at $10.7 million.
The PSD has a recommended funding scenario outlined by the West Virginia Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council. The funds have been approved and the PSD will close on them once bidding on the project is completed.
The project is expected to go out for bid in 2024 after the design phase has been completed and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Funding sources for the project includes: Clean Water State Revolving Fund, $2.9 million; CWSRF forgiveness loan, $700,000; IJDC grant, $500,000; Water Development Authority Economic Enhancement Grant Funding, $1,550,000; Hancock County Commission contribution, $50,000; and IJDC Distressed Utilities Grant, $5,0000.
Anita Mahan of the PSD said these funds are approved and this is the tentative funding scenario at this time.
Mahan addressed the issue of a potential rate increase saying the PSD cannot predict at this time how much of a rate increase customers could see. If the project is completed according to the engineering report and the project funding as outlined, then existing customers will not see a rate increase.
There may be a security deposit of $100 required for property owners as long as the bill is paid on time for 12 consecutive months. They would receive it back with interest in the 13th month. Tenants would receive the deposit back when they move.
When asked about a rate increase prior to the start of the project, Mahan said, "our plan at this time is to bring the customers up to the current Hancock County PSD rate, whatever they may be at the time." This is for Newell customers paying their bill for Hancock County PSD. Bringing these customers up to the current rate will mean no additional increase for all of Hancock County current customers if the project is completed per engineers.
According to Eberly, at the current time both water and sewage are at Newell. They will be split in the future with the Hancock PSD taking over the sewer and Tomlinson PSD taking over the water. When that happens residents will receive two separate bills for water and sewage instead of one.
The project is expected to take about 12 months to complete once construction begins. The estimated completion date is December 2026.
"It's going to be a while before we get on to it, but we had to have the meeting here to let you know we are proceeding on the project," Eberly said.
Mahan said they are waiting on additional funding sources to begin the project as they won't know what a project will cost until the bids come in and that the $10.7 million is the projected cost.
The project is estimated to go out for bid around the second quarter of 2024.
Ben Erste of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metroplitan Planning Commission said the project cannot go out to bid until the design phase is completed due to changes in the project pending the decision, which could affect costs. The project is expected to be considered for decision within the next several months.
Hughes said that once work begins, customers will experience some inconveniences while the work is being done, but it won't be for long. They will be without sewage for a couple of hours while they do the lines, and the roads are going to be torn up for a bit. Most of those roads will be put back better than they are now, he said.
Beverly Enochs, president of the Newell Coalition, came to the meeting because she's interested in what is going on and wanted to know how the lines will be put in and in what time frame. She said she was satisfied with what she heard and said her questions were answered.
"It's something that's needed, so we have to accept the change," Enochs said. "I'm happy to have water and sewer."
Newell resident Kathy Anderson said she didn't really know what to expect and mainly wanted to know if it was true that they would eventually be receiving two separate bills, to which the answer was yes.
Lisa Cox said her biggest concern was how much of the yards and the alleys were going to be torn up, because they try to have pride in their town.