Craig Howell DISCUSSING PLANS – The Weirton Area Water Board met for its regular meeting Thursday afternoon, discussing funding options for several projects.

WEIRTON — While one upgrade project recently was announced as fully funded, the Weirton Area Water Board continues to seek support for other efforts, including one ordered by the West Virginia Public Service Commission to replace all cast-iron and galvanized lines in the city’s distribution system.

Earlier this week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey visited Weirton to announce plans to award $3.34 million from the state’s Water Development Authority toward the Water Board’s Walnut Street line repair project. The work will upgrade existing 12-inch lines to 18-inch lines to better serve Walnut Street, Zeta Street, Mildred Avenue and other parts of the city’s downtown. The award is in addition to $1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to be provided through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We’re very thankful,” Utilities Director A.D. “Butch” Mastrantoni said during Thursday’s Water Board meeting, offering thanks to the governor as well as Del. Pat McGeehan, Del. Mark Zatezalo, state Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman and the board’s legal counsel, Dan Guida. “We appreciate his keeping us on the rails.”

The board, however, continues to explore options for the PSC-ordered project to replace much of the remaining distribution system, which is estimated to cost $190 million.

“We’ve had several funding discussions with the project team,” said Jesse Alden, project manager with the Thrasher Group. “We’ve had some discussions with the Public Service Commission.”

As part of recent efforts, the board has submitted applications to U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, both R-W.Va., for $10 million in Congressionally Directed Spending. Alden said while it is uncertain whether Weirton will receive any of the funds, it was an available option.

“We thought it would be prudent,” he said.

In the meantime, work continues on preliminary engineering designs for the project, which was ordered by the PSC following its investigation into citywide water issues between December 2024 and February 2025.

Officials estimate about 500,000 linear feet of the distribution system is made up of cast iron or galvanized steel, spread across the city’s 18 square miles.

Under the PSC’s timeline, the distribution system replacement must be completed by June 2029. Alden said designs likely will not be finalized until May 2027, with construction expected to begin in June 2028.