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WEIRTON -- Recognizing a continued need to invest in its infrastructure, the Weirton Area Water Board is setting off on a program aimed at the replacement of much of the two-inch water lines in the city.
"It's going to be a five-year program," explained Water Board Chair Ronnie Jones during the board's meeting Thursday.
Jasen Havens, assistant water director, reported board staff recently conducted a survey of the city's water lines, with a particular focus on two-inch galvanized water lines.
"Two words came to mind…it's time," Havens said.
Havens described lines which have become corroded over time, noting approximately 50 percent of the city's water line breaks in recent years have been on the two-inch galvanized water lines.
Jones claimed nine of the line breaks in the last month have been on the two-inch lines.
"We need to start a program," Havens said.
Under the proposal discussed last week, the Water Board will set aside $125,000 from the current budget year to address lines on five city streets.
Funding for additional streets would then be set aside each year as part of the board's budget process through the remainder of the program.
Brian Kuntz said the board has options for funding, recommending using the board's Special Projects fund.
Ward 4 Councilman George Ash, who is a member of the Water Board, asked if such a project would be eligible for American Rescue Plan Act funds, but admitted he wasn't sure if Weirton Council had any funding unaccounted for.
Havens said his hope was to be able to work with the city's Public Works Department to plan each year's distribution of water line repairs to cut down on the number of disruptions or need to repave areas.
"We want to restore it as close to perfect as we can," he said.
Public Works Director Allen Hess, who was in attendance Thursday, noted street paving contracts in Weirton typically are awarded in late March or sometime in April.
Board members Don Gianni Jr. and Rocky Bragg had to recuse themselves from Thursday's discussion because of potential business conflicts with the project.