by Kate Shunney
The board of Warm Springs Public Service District, which manages the public wastewater system in Berkeley Springs and Great Cacapon, has approved contractor payments in two system upgrade projects going on right now in Berkeley Springs.
In a regular meeting on Wednesday, August 13, board members received work updates from Chase Riley, Project Engineer for Thrasher Group, which designed the two sewer upgrade projects.
The first is a sewer lining project, meant to reduce the inflow of groundwater and surface water into the public sewer system.
Referred to as the system’s “I & I project” to reduce inflow and infiltration, the sewer lining being installed will seal up cracks or joints where ground or surface water can leak into the public sewer pipes. Extra water from outside the system puts a burden on the sewer treatment plant, driving up costs and lowering the plant’s capacity to process wastewater.
Riley reported that the sewer lining project has moved along Martinsburg Road and is nearly complete, then crews will work on rehabilitation manholes and in September a pipe crew will start sewer line replacement work on Biser Street.
The project got a Notice to Proceed on February 10 of this year and contractors have 270 days to complete the work. According to Riley, the project is 76% complete with a final completion date of November 10.
Jack Curley, project Superintendent for contractor Guyer Brothers of New Enterprise, Pa., said his company will do some clearing first ahead of the sewer line replacement, but they were having some difficulty finding a local contractor to work with. Curley said he would like to drill a temporary connection to make a nightly tie-in back to the sewer system as work proceeds.
Sewer officials talked about the need to communication with local residents, especially those on Biser Street, as work moves to that area due to traffic and travel disruptions.
“Once works starts on Biser, give residents at least one week notice of what’s going on,” said Scott Crunkleton of the Warm Springs PSD.
Payment #4 for the project, in the amount of $611,263 was approved by the PSD board.
The second project update was about improvements at the PSD’s sewer plant, including the addition of a generator at the treatment plant.
Linden Hurst, from contractor United Enterprise, said his crews will be working on the foundation for a maintenance building, tying rebar and pouring concrete in the coming week or two.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation funding is contributing to the cost of the project. The new generator and switch should be installed and functional by April 2026, said contracting officials. That project is also 76% complete, said Thrasher representatives.
Erosion control fencing will be installed between the work area at the plant and the Warm Springs Run to prevent any downslope impacts, said Hurst.
A future construction update meeting will be held on September 10 for contractors, the PSD board and Thrasher representatives, along with funding partners USDA and Region 9 Planning & Development.
