The West Virginia Public Service Commission has approved construction of a new wastewater treatment plant to service the water systems of Masontown, Reedsville and Bretz.
The $9.5 million dollar investment will meet federal and state environmental regulations and improve sewer collection and treatment for Preston County communities. The new wastewater treatment plant will alleviate the current BioLac Wastewater Treatment plant, which is at capacity and cannot accept new customers.
“The new plant will improve service for existing users, and it will increase the number of people that can be served,” said Robbie Baylor, Preston County Economic Development Authority Director.
“The project will improve water quality for the local community, allow for economic development and future growth, and it will protect our waterways and environment.”
The current BioLac plant was constructed in the late 1990’s and has had difficulty meeting effluent permit limits and satisfying regulatory standards. The federal Clean Water Act, state Water Pollution Control Act, and federal and state regulations have set specific standards to protect designated uses of streams and waterways.
“We’ve been working on this project for the past few years,” said Baylor. “The development and growth of our communities depend on efficient and safe wastewater treatment.”
Construction is expected to begin within the next few weeks, when weather becomes favorable. The project will take roughly 14 months to complete. The PCEDA is the project administrator. The project engineer is Thrasher Engineering from Bridgeport.
