UPDATE RECEIVED — On Thursday, updates on ongoing or upcoming projects were heard by the city’s water board. -- Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — On Thursday, the city’s water and sewer boards received updates on ongoing and upcoming projects aimed at improving the city’s water, wastewater and storm sewer facilities.

Alfonso D’Alessio, project engineer for Ghosh Engineering, said bids will be opened soon for an estimated $2 million water project funded with a grant from the Army Corps of Engineers.

The project will include replacement of filters and controls at the water treatment plant serving customers at Hooverson Heights and in other areas outside the city as well as roof replacements for four smaller buildings in the city’s water treatment system.

D’Alessio noted the scope of another project, to be funded with about $3.4 million from the same federal agency, has been reduced after bids for it came in higher than expected.

He said staff with the Army Corps of Engineers are reviewing the revised goals and pending their approval, are expected to advertise the project early next year.

As a condition of the grants awarded by it, the Army Corps of Engineers has oversight of the bidding process for prospective contractors for the two projects.

Jeff Ekstrom, an engineer with Ghosh, said that project now will be focused on improvements to the downtown water treatment plant, which serves customers within the city’s boundaries.

City officials have announced plans to seek additional funding for other improvements to the water treatment system in the city and at Hooverson Heights.

Sewer and storm sewer projects in the city are proceeding more swiftly.

D’Alessio said after patching areas of Virginia Avenue and Raymond Street affected by a storm sewer project, crews will be applying a more permanent top coat to the streets.

He said crews also will be working next week to resurface Rose and Oak alleys and a section of Neville Street where sewer line replacements have been done.

Crews with Alex Paris Contracting of Atlasburg, Pa., have installed a 15 foot long and 5 foot deep concrete channel to carry rainwater under Virginia Avenue and Raymond Streets to the Ohio River.

Designed by Ghosh Engineering, it’s intended to prevent storm sewer backups that have resulted in flooding during heavy rain.

The $2 million project also included the installation of new storm sewer drains and the replacement of a pump station near Center Avenue in Hooverson Heights with one equipped with two pumps, the second designed to address heavy rain.

D’Alessio said crews will begin work soon on the replacement of a concrete spillway near Neville Street and installation of a wider storm sewer to ease the flow of runoff from the hillside above the street.

Crews also have been replacing and upgrading equipment used to treat wastewater at the city’s sewer plant.

The work there is part of a $10.2 million project that also will involve upgrades to two pump stations near Browning Alley and the city’s fire station and the separation of combined sanitary and storm sewer lines.

The city is among wastewater treatment providers throughout the U.S. who have been ordered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to separate combined storm- and wastewater sewer lines to prevent the risk of raw sewage being discharged into waterways when they are overtaxed by heavy rain.

In other business:

• The water board heard from Christopher Virtue, a resident of Highland Hills, who said after he received two water bills indicating he had used about 38,000 gallons of water in two months, he approached the city about having his meter tested and another temporary installed.

He said the temporary meter showed he had used about 2,100 gallons of water recently, and he asked for an adjustment to his bill.

The matter was referred to City Manager Chris Manack-Stover for further investigation.

• Sam Mazzone, the city’s water superintendent, said he’s looking into having its water tanks inspected on a yearly basis, coinciding with inspections done in other municipalities, to save money.

• Martin McDonald was administered oaths and welcomed as the new member of the city’s sewer board.