STORIES OF PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING HEALTHY WATERS
^pR0^° EPA Region 3 Water Protection Division
New Wastewater Plant
Reduces Pollution in WV
Romney, West Virginia • September 15, 2016
A new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant in Romney,
West Virginia, has made a "dramatic improvement" in reducing
pollution to local waters and the Chesapeake Bay.
Nitrogen and phosphorous, along with other regulated pollutants,
are down sharply since the $14 million plant began operation in
2015. Charts show that in just one month, nitrogen dropped from
16 mg/l to less than 3 mg/l and have been below 2 mg/l during
some monitoring months. Phosphorus fell from 3 mg/l to below
.25 mg/l, although the plant is working to control a recent rise in
those levels.
The reductions are designed to help the city meet state permit
limits reflected in West Virginia's Watershed Improvement Plan for
the Chesapeake Bay. The city was under a consent order to meet
the effluent limits by the end of 2015. The treated effluent
discharges to Big Run of the South Branch of the Potomac River.
The project received $5.6 million from EPA's Clean Water State
Revolving Fund through the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection, including $2 million as essentially a grant
and $3.6 million in a low-interest loan. Funding was also provided
through other federal, state and local sources, including a $500,000
EPA grant.
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ATA GLANCE
EPA funding helps community build
new plant, reduce water pollution.
Finished construction at new Romney treatment
plant. Photo: Thrasher Group.
The former plant, which was nearing its 500,000 gallons per day design capacity, had aging and failing
equipment with pumps unable to handle sewage volumes during wet weather events, officials said.
The new plant, built on the same site and serving more than 1,000 households, is rated to handle
750,000 gallons per day with room for at least one additional basin, providing capacity for new
customers requesting sanitary sewer service.
"I've done a lot of water and sewer projects in my career. This is definitely one of the highlights," said
Daniel Ferrell, the project manager from the Thrasher Group. "We've seen a dramatic improvement in
nitrogen, phosphorus, BOD (biological oxygen demand) and TSS (Total Suspended Solids)."
The project included the rehabilitation of four lift stations, a new pretreatment works, two Sequencing
Batch Reactor (SBR) basins, two digesters, multiple chemical feed systems, a public works building, a
laboratory/office/plant building, and other system improvements.
"The clarity (of the effluent) is unbelievable," said Don Compton, the plant's chief operator. "It's just like
water out of the tap."
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Region 3 Water Protection Division
Philadelphia, PA
For additional information contact:
Kimberly Scharl, scharl.kimberlv@epa.gov
EPA WPD Office of Infrastructure and Assistance
Katheryn Emery, Kathervn.D.Emerv@wv.gov
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

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