PROJECTS PENDING — The Follansbee water board is preparing for two major water projects affecting water treatment systems in the city and at Hooverson Heights. -- Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — Two major water projects are pending for the city’s downtown and Hooverson Heights water treatment systems.

Prior to Thursday’s meeting of the city’s water board, city officials confirmed a contract is pending for one involving the Hooverson Heights water treatment plant.

Cattrell Companies of Toronto was the apparent low bidder for the project, which includes replacement of filter valves, pumps and a control panel at the plant and the roofs of four buildings serving the water treatment system.

Water Superintendent Sam Mazzone said it also is slated to included the extension of two new lines from the city’s half-million gallon water tanks to the Hooverson Heights plant.

He said the move will allow the suburban plant to serve as a backup in the event of an emergency affecting the downtown plant, which draws on underground wells for its water.

Mazzone noted some years ago, another link was established to allow the downtown plant to serve Hooverson Heights area customers, who normally receive treated water from the Ohio River, in the event of an emergency.

The two systems have different water sources because the one at Hooverson Heights was operated separately from the city for many years before it was merged with the city’s in 1996.

While that project is pending, another involving improvements to the downtown plant is being revised because bids for it came in higher than expected, said Mayor Scott McMahon.

The Army Corps of Engineers has undertaken a review of that project as a condition of funds it awarded for that project.

The federal agency has awarded about $5.4 million to the city for the two projects.

Mazzone said replacement of a computerized monitoring system for the two plants had been eyed for one of the projects but had to be done ahead of them.

He confirmed the projects unfortunately don’t include service lines to customers.

Line breaks have been a recurring problem for customers downtown and in the Hooverson Heights area, with disruptions to service frequent.

Citing a need for additional funds for operation and continued maintenance of the two systems, council recently approved increases to the city’s water rates, with minimum monthly bills to rise to $24.21 per 1,500 gallons.

On Thursday, Mazzone advised the water board about $9,028 was needed to replace a line involved in the treatment process at the Hooverson Heights plant.

The repairs, to be performed by Cattrell Companies, were approved by the board.

At a meeting of the city’s sewer board that followed, Alphonso D’Alessio, a project engineer with Ghosh Engineering, advised crews have completed paving Raymond Street, where new stormwater sewer structures were installed over the summer and will be doing a section of Oak Street soon.

He said crews have applied a base coat to Neville and Highland streets, Clifton Avenue and Browning and Mill alleys and will be returning in the spring to complete them.

D’Alesio said potholes along Mill Alley also have been addressed as well as an issue surrounding a handicap-accessible ramp to a church at Virginia Avenue and Raymond Street.

The city also has been involved in a $13 million sewer project involving the wastewater treatment systems for the city and Hooverson Heights area supported by $10.2 million in federal funds and the sale of $2.8 million in bonds.