WEIRTON – A project to replace the cast iron and galvanized lines in Weirton’s water distribution system has been estimated to cost $190 million.

The project was among directives ordered of the Weirton Area Water Board in July by the West Virginia Public Service Commission following its investigation of last year’s citywide boil orders and water outages.

Since the order was issued last summer by the West Virginia Public Service Commission, the Water Board has been working with Thrasher Engineering on a preliminary engineering report for the project, which includes early designs and costs.

Part of those plans included taking a count of the number, type, and distance of each pipe in the system.

“We’ve got the mapping prepared,” Jesse Alden, project manager for Thrasher, said. “We have finalized the inventory.”

According to Alden, the inventory notes approximately 500,000 linear feet, or approximately 95 miles, of cast iron or galvanized pipe, with a replacement cost of close to $190 million.

“That estimate is all based on the mapping we have and the Street View from Google Earth,” Alden said, noting such lines are spread throughout the city. “It’s pretty extensive across the system.”

A field verification study will be implemented in the coming months to verify those lines and assist with establishing a better cost estimate, but officials anticipate it being close to the current estimate.

A full article will appear in Friday’s edition.