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County PSD is Testing Baker Water Plant
 01/18/2012   

If everything goes according to schedule, this time next month businesses, residents and schools in Baker will have fresh, clean public water. The Hardy County Public Service District is testing the recently completed water plant and subcontractors will be back in town to flush, test and sanitize the water lines beginning this week.

It's really gone pretty well," said Lead Project Representative Brian Martin. Martin was hired by engineers Thrasher Engineering to oversee the project.

"Everything had a sequence and they followed in line," he said.

"Breckenridge Corporation of Buckhannon, has the contract to build the water plant. Tom Watson is the Project Superintendent.

"We have a good group of subcontractors who follow us from job to job, so we know who we're working with," he said.

Water comes into the facility from the Parker Hollow Lake and is first pumped through sediment basins with tube settlers, which filter out larger contaminants. The water is then pumped through membrane filters which take out microscopic contaminants. Chemicals are added and the water is pumped to a storage tank. Potable water is then gravity fed through the lines.

The membrane filters are manufactured by Tonka Equipment Co. of Plymouth, Minn. Last year, the company provided a pilot testing facility - basically a miniature water plant - to satisfy concerns of the West Virginia Health Department that the process would work to their standards.

"So far, the start-up has gone very well," said Project Engineer Clay Riley of Thrasher Engineering. "Tonka is here for training and they will stay until we're done. I'm sure there will be issues, but we should be on track for water to be flowing next month."

Stonegate Construction, of Belpre, Ohio, will set water meters and flush, test and sterilize the lines over the next few weeks.

The $9 million project utilized funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by President Obama in 2009. The USDA Rural Utilities Service administers those funds. Other funds were provided by the US Economic Development Administration, the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council and the West Virginia Clean Water Revolving Fund.

By Jean Flanagan
Moorefield Examiner


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