Latest news with #MorgantownUtilityBoard
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MUB receives positive news on Morgans Run extension project
Jun. 11—MORGANTOWN — Residents in approximately three dozen homes in the Morgans Run Road area along Cheat Lake have spent years purchasing, collecting and hauling water due to low-producing wells plagued with high iron and manganese levels. The Morgantown Utility Board announced Tuesday that a solution may be at hand. "I am very pleased to report that we have received notice from the West Virginia DEP that their [water extension ] project will be eligible for Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation funding, " MUB General Manager Mike McNulty told members of the utility's board of directors. MUB's involvement with the issue dates back at least two years. In November 2023, the extension project was estimated at $3.7 million. MUB filed applications for $4 million through the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council, but was ultimately denied those funds. Based on the latest announcement from the WVDEP, McNulty said MUB will put together a new cost estimate for the work. He also noted the AML Grant won't pay for the entire project, but is expected to cover "a significant portion." It's expected the unfunded portion would ultimately be repaid through surcharges on customer bills in the new service area. During the 2023 push, MUB secured user agreements from 27 of the 35 or so households. "We're going through and redoing our cost estimates so that we can understand what would be covered and what would still be remaining, so that we can then talk intelligently to the folks out there. And probably the next step, once we have those cost estimates done, would be to get all those residents together and go over that and let them know, you know, what's still in front of us and get commitments from them that we want to move forward, " Assistant General Manager Rich Rogers said. "But what an awesome thing for those people. We haven't done the cost estimates, but we're talking about over half of a very significant project." Rogers said there are residents in the impacted area spending hundreds of dollars monthly to have water hauled to their homes. "The significance of the AML grant cannot be overstated. Keep in mind that it's the policy of the Public Service Commission that the costs of line extensions be borne by those that benefit from it rather than be carried by all of MUB's rate payers. In situations such as this, the cost of the project would most likely be too great for the residents to bear, " McNulty said in a Wednesday press release. MUB credits a list of agencies and individuals with getting the funding lined up, including the residents of Morgans Run, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Delegate David McCormick, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the West Virginia DEP's Office of Abandoned Mines and Reclamation. "We pride ourselves in finding solutions to meet MUB's mission of protecting public health. This grant furthers that mission and serves as recognition of the persistence of the residents, the strength of our state and federal leadership, and the trust that they hold in MUB's ability to get things done, " McNulty said. "We're proud to be a part of this team and excited to help these families obtain safe, clean water."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MUB receives positive news on Morgans Run extension project
Jun. 11—MORGANTOWN — Residents in approximately three dozen homes in the Morgans Run Road area along Cheat Lake have spent years purchasing, collecting and hauling water due to low-producing wells plagued with high iron and manganese levels. The Morgantown Utility Board announced Tuesday that a solution may be at hand. "I am very pleased to report that we have received notice from the West Virginia DEP that their [water extension ] project will be eligible for Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation funding, " MUB General Manager Mike McNulty told members of the utility's board of directors. MUB's involvement with the issue dates back at least two years. In November 2023, the extension project was estimated at $3.7 million. MUB filed applications for $4 million through the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council, but was ultimately denied those funds. Based on the latest announcement from the WVDEP, McNulty said MUB will put together a new cost estimate for the work. He also noted the AML Grant won't pay for the entire project, but is expected to cover "a significant portion." It's expected the unfunded portion would ultimately be repaid through surcharges on customer bills in the new service area. During the 2023 push, MUB secured user agreements from 27 of the 35 or so households. "We're going through and redoing our cost estimates so that we can understand what would be covered and what would still be remaining, so that we can then talk intelligently to the folks out there. And probably the next step, once we have those cost estimates done, would be to get all those residents together and go over that and let them know, you know, what's still in front of us and get commitments from them that we want to move forward, " Assistant General Manager Rich Rogers said. "But what an awesome thing for those people. We haven't done the cost estimates, but we're talking about over half of a very significant project." Rogers said there are residents in the impacted area spending hundreds of dollars monthly to have water hauled to their homes. "The significance of the AML grant cannot be overstated. Keep in mind that it's the policy of the Public Service Commission that the costs of line extensions be borne by those that benefit from it rather than be carried by all of MUB's rate payers. In situations such as this, the cost of the project would most likely be too great for the residents to bear, " McNulty said in a Wednesday press release. MUB credits a list of agencies and individuals with getting the funding lined up, including the residents of Morgans Run, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Delegate David McCormick, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the West Virginia DEP's Office of Abandoned Mines and Reclamation. "We pride ourselves in finding solutions to meet MUB's mission of protecting public health. This grant furthers that mission and serves as recognition of the persistence of the residents, the strength of our state and federal leadership, and the trust that they hold in MUB's ability to get things done, " McNulty said. "We're proud to be a part of this team and excited to help these families obtain safe, clean water."
Dominion Post
a day ago
- Business
- Dominion Post
MUB receives positive news on Morgans Run extension project
MORGANTOWN — Residents in approximately three dozen homes in the Morgans Run Road area along Cheat Lake have spent years purchasing, collecting and hauling water due to low-producing wells plagued with high iron and manganese levels. The Morgantown Utility Board announced Tuesday that a solution may be at hand. 'I am very pleased to report that we have received notice from the West Virginia DEP that their [water extension] project will be eligible for Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation funding,' MUB General Manager Mike McNulty told members of the utility's board of directors. MUB's involvement with the issue dates back at least two years. In November 2023, the extension project was estimated at $3.7 million. MUB filed applications for $4 million through the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council, but was ultimately denied those funds. Based on the latest announcement from the WVDEP, McNulty said MUB will put together a new cost estimate for the work. He also noted the AML Grant won't pay for the entire project, but is expected to cover 'a significant portion.' It's expected the unfunded portion would ultimately be repaid through surcharges on customer bills in the new service area. During the 2023 push, MUB secured user agreements from 27 of the 35 or so households. 'We're going through and redoing our cost estimates so that we can understand what would be covered and what would still be remaining, so that we can then talk intelligently to the folks out there. And probably the next step, once we have those cost estimates done, would be to get all those residents together and go over that and let them know, you know, what's still in front of us and get commitments from them that we want to move forward,' Assistant General Manager Rich Rogers said. 'But what an awesome thing for those people. We haven't done the cost estimates, but we're talking about over half of a very significant project.' Rogers said there are residents in the impacted area spending hundreds of dollars monthly to have water hauled to their homes. 'The significance of the AML grant cannot be overstated. Keep in mind that it's the policy of the Public Service Commission that the costs of line extensions be borne by those that benefit from it rather than be carried by all of MUB's rate payers. In situations such as this, the cost of the project would most likely be too great for the residents to bear,' McNulty said in a Wednesday press release. MUB credits a list of agencies and individuals with getting the funding lined up, including the residents of Morgans Run, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Delegate David McCormick, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the West Virginia DEP's Office of Abandoned Mines and Reclamation. 'We pride ourselves in finding solutions to meet MUB's mission of protecting public health. This grant furthers that mission and serves as recognition of the persistence of the residents, the strength of our state and federal leadership, and the trust that they hold in MUB's ability to get things done,' McNulty said. 'We're proud to be a part of this team and excited to help these families obtain safe, clean water.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MUB study initiates projects previously estimated at $64 million
May 14—MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Utility Board has approved $40, 000 for a study tied to an estimated $64 million in improvements across MUB's water delivery system. The funds will be paid to Strand Associates for a detailed preliminary engineering report necessary to seek financing for 10 projects ranging in scope and cost from major upgrades to the Robert B. Creel Water Treatment Facility to new water mains, booster stations, updated customer metering and the rehabilitation of elevated storage tanks. Five of those projects are smaller, or less complex. MUB is looking for the report to address both design and construction /implementation costs. Those include: — Mileground and Greystone elevated storage tank rehabilitation — Monongahela Boulevard water line design and construction — Automated meter reading design and implementation — Wiles Hill Water Booster Station Generator design and implementation — Telemetry update design and implementation Due to scope, complexity and anticipated cost, the five remaining projects are included as "design only." They are: — Sabraton District Water Booster Station improvements — New Union District water booster station — Union District water booster station piping — Union District and Cheat Neck District connection — Water treatment plant upgrades and renovations Far and away, the most complex and costly item on the list is the water treatment plant improvement. In September, Scott Stearns of Strand Associates estimated the cost of that work — which will include the construction of a new high-service pumping station — at $40 million and said it would likely take at least four years to plan, engineer, finance and construct. Time is of the essence, he said, as the facility could begin approaching its functional capacity in the next four to six years. "These [projects ] are all associated with actual needs, but all these projects don't need to be done simultaneously, " Stearns said at the time. "But the water treatment plant, I think we've identified here as a real need." Other estimated costs tied to these projects are: Booster stations ($15.4 million); customer metering ($4.8 million); water mains ($2.6 million) and elevated storage tank rehabilitation ($1.3 million). MUB Communications Director Chris Dale said that once Strand Associates delivers the report, MUB will seek financing for projects individually. "So, what we're doing is putting together one agreement with Strand to help us put together the funding package, so we can go and seek either financing through the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council or the West Virginia Water Development Authority, or go to the private market, " MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said. "It'll wrap that up very neat for all of the different projects and we'll have what we think this first phase would be for actual construction and then what the design would be for the water treatment and the Sabraton and Union district projects." In other MUB news, the board approved a $213, 100 contract with Omni Associates for architectural work tied to the construction of a new maintenance shop and garage near MUB's Green Bag Road headquarters. McNulty said the overall project is expected to be in the $1.5 million to $2 million range depending on the cost of materials. The building will be large enough to accommodate MUB's large tankers and dump trucks as well as office space and storage areas.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MUB study initiates projects previously estimated at $64 million
May 14—MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Utility Board has approved $40, 000 for a study tied to an estimated $64 million in improvements across MUB's water delivery system. The funds will be paid to Strand Associates for a detailed preliminary engineering report necessary to seek financing for 10 projects ranging in scope and cost from major upgrades to the Robert B. Creel Water Treatment Facility to new water mains, booster stations, updated customer metering and the rehabilitation of elevated storage tanks. Five of those projects are smaller, or less complex. MUB is looking for the report to address both design and construction /implementation costs. Those include: — Mileground and Greystone elevated storage tank rehabilitation — Monongahela Boulevard water line design and construction — Automated meter reading design and implementation — Wiles Hill Water Booster Station Generator design and implementation — Telemetry update design and implementation Due to scope, complexity and anticipated cost, the five remaining projects are included as "design only." They are: — Sabraton District Water Booster Station improvements — New Union District water booster station — Union District water booster station piping — Union District and Cheat Neck District connection — Water treatment plant upgrades and renovations Far and away, the most complex and costly item on the list is the water treatment plant improvement. In September, Scott Stearns of Strand Associates estimated the cost of that work — which will include the construction of a new high-service pumping station — at $40 million and said it would likely take at least four years to plan, engineer, finance and construct. Time is of the essence, he said, as the facility could begin approaching its functional capacity in the next four to six years. "These [projects ] are all associated with actual needs, but all these projects don't need to be done simultaneously, " Stearns said at the time. "But the water treatment plant, I think we've identified here as a real need." Other estimated costs tied to these projects are: Booster stations ($15.4 million); customer metering ($4.8 million); water mains ($2.6 million) and elevated storage tank rehabilitation ($1.3 million). MUB Communications Director Chris Dale said that once Strand Associates delivers the report, MUB will seek financing for projects individually. "So, what we're doing is putting together one agreement with Strand to help us put together the funding package, so we can go and seek either financing through the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council or the West Virginia Water Development Authority, or go to the private market, " MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said. "It'll wrap that up very neat for all of the different projects and we'll have what we think this first phase would be for actual construction and then what the design would be for the water treatment and the Sabraton and Union district projects." In other MUB news, the board approved a $213, 100 contract with Omni Associates for architectural work tied to the construction of a new maintenance shop and garage near MUB's Green Bag Road headquarters. McNulty said the overall project is expected to be in the $1.5 million to $2 million range depending on the cost of materials. The building will be large enough to accommodate MUB's large tankers and dump trucks as well as office space and storage areas.
