MORGANTOWN – The Morgantown Utility Board has approved more than $5 million in task orders for 10 projects spread across the utility’s water treatment, distribution and metering systems.
The orders, to be carried out by engineering and design firm Strand Associates, are based on a 2024 comprehensive examination of the utility’s water delivery system and subsequent preliminary engineering report compiled by the firm.
The report is a necessary first step to begin seeking financing for the projects, initially estimated at a combined $64 million.
The results, presented this week by Strand’s Scott Stearns and Sam Hocevar, break the projects into two phases.
Two numbers were presented for the phase one projects – the overall projected cost estimate and the cost for Strand Associates to provide engineering, design, bidding and construction support/oversight services. The latter is the number represented in the task orders approved by the utility board.
MUB Assistant General Manager Rich Rogers explained that MUB intends to start lining up financing for the construction of these projects while the engineering firm completes the final engineering and design work.
Those projects are:
—- Automated meter reading – For a projected cost of just over $5 million MUB intends to convert a first wave of 4,518 customer meters over to an automated system that can be read remotely. It was explained that automatic meters not only improve efficiency and eliminate the need to access dangerous and problematic areas, but also allow better customer access to data in real time. The initial wave represents less than 15% of the total number of meters in the MUB system. The task order approved for Strand’s efforts is for $380,000.
—- Monongahela Boulevard water main – A portion of water main that runs beneath Mon Boulevard is both difficult to access and nearing the end of its useful life. This project would redesign and replace the line at an estimated cost of $3.68 million. A task order of $380,000 was approved by the board.
—- Telemetry – Projected to cost just over $2.75 million, this project would address the ability for some 63 distribution facilities – pumps stations, tanks, etc. – to communicate via a central control system. Hocevar explained that the telemetry equipment currently in place is outdated, making it difficult to service. Mainly an electrical project, it would replace the programmable logic controllers and radio telemetry equipment in each of the identified facilities. The board approved a task order of $398,000 for this project.
—- Elevated tank improvements – For an overall cost just north of $1.6 million the utility is looking to replace the exterior and interior coatings on the 155-foot tall, 400,000-gallon tank near the Morgantown Municipal Airport as well as the 150,000 gallon, 130-foot tall “Graystone” tank. The board approved a $134,600 task order for this project.
—- Wiles Hill Booster Station – At an estimated cost of $1.5 million, this project would add a backup generator to the booster station. A task order totaling $203,250 was approved.
The task orders approved for the second phase of projects are for design work only.
Further, MUB Communications Director Chris Dale said the execution of these orders will be delayed to allow time to seek design funding assistance.
By far the largest of these orders, at $2.15 million, pertains to upgrades of the Robert B. Creel Water Treatment Plant, off Don Knotts Boulevard.
Previously estimated to be in the $40 million range, the work would build a new high service pump station on the former Dinsmore Tire property, replace the plant’s chemical and chlorine systems, upgrade the administration facilities and rehabilitate or replace various smaller components.
The other phase two projects (and task order amounts) include: A new Union District booster station ($398,000); Union District booster station water main ($322,000); Sabraton booster station ($598,000) and a Cheat Neck water main ($155,000).
