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Investment in Weirton's infrastructure is continuing as city officials work to prepare the community for future opportunities.
Last week, the Weirton Area Water Board was finally able to award a contract for its long-planned project to expand the capacity of its water treatment plant. The project, in the works for close to seven years, will move forward under the direction of Triton Construction, the same firm to serve as contractor of the expansion of Weirton's wastewater treatment plant.
Triton was the lone company to place a bid on the most recent effort, but additional funding was still needed to cover its almost $40 million proposal and make sure enough money was available for cost overruns and other aspects of the project.
That came through additional funding from the state, Weirton Council and the Water Board itself.
It is anticipated contracts will be signed and a groundbreaking can be held in the next month or so.
These investments - both the water treatment upgrade and the sanitary upgrade - came about several years ago when the city was approached by a manufacturing firm interested in locating an operation in Weirton. At the time, though, local officials recognized they would not have enough treatment capacity to support such an operation. Both of Weirton's treatment systems offer a maximum of 4 million gallons per day.
They will be the biggest such investments in the city's history, and among the largest made in the state, according to officials, with the water project receiving $22 million in Congressionally Directed Spending, one of the largest packages ever awarded.
The decision was made to double the capacity of both systems, and while that initial company opted to look elsewhere, the need remains as we are seeing other opportunities on the horizon.
At the same time, the Water Board has been working to replace many of the aging lines within the city's water distribution system, eliminating the clay and galvanized lines which have placed throughout Weirton over the years as they have aged and begun to waste away.
All of this to provide for increased and better service, both to the residents and businesses living here today, as well as those who may call Weirton home in the future.