WEIRTON — The project to expand the capacity of Weirton’s wastewater treatment plant is getting closer to completion.

As part of his reports during Thursday’s meeting of the Weirton Sanitary Board, Jesse Alden, project manager from the Thrasher Group, noted the current schedule shows the project reaching substantial completion in April, with a final payment to contractor Triton Construction made in May.

The project broke ground in April 2024.

“We still have a long way to go for completion, but we’re working toward it,” Alden said.

Alden provided a review of work on the project since the board’s November meeting, which includes the installation and startup of three raw sewage pumps, with a fourth pump awaiting replacement. New plant flow meters and valves also have been installed.

Triton currently is working on completing the splitter box and drain piping for the sequencing batch reactor, and is working with Summit Electric to install conduit and wiring for the batch reactor and equalization tank transducers and sensors.

Summit Electric and KLH are working on various electrical and control upgrades and startups throughout the site, with flow meters, actuated valves, and other controls integrated into the revised Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system.

Triton also has completed installation of miscellaneous metals on the new headworks and ultraviolet treatment channels within the plant.

The project began with a contracted budget of $37,393,111.80, and a contingency fund of $1,860,650.56.

Following approval of five change orders, to date, there remains $1,469,135.35 in contingency for the project.

“Overall, we’re in excellent shape with the contingency considering where we are,” Alden said.

The project was awarded to Triton in February 2024 with a stated goal of expanding the existing treatment facility from its current capacity of 4 million gallons per day to 8 million gallons per day.

Planning began in January 2019 when local officials were notified of interest in a large manufacturing company to locate in Weirton. At the time, officials noted the treatment plant, which was built in the 1960s, had little room for additional treatment capacity and would need the expansion to properly serve any new development in the community.