The information below pertains solely to rate changes for Cheat Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant customers.


Introduction
This webpage serves as a resource Cheat Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant customers. Information on this page will be updated as the project moves forward.

Background
A major upgrade to the Cheat Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is planned to begin in 2025. MUB took ownership and operational responsibility for the Cheat Lake WWTP in the late 1990s. In 2001, the Cheat Lake WWTP underwent a major expansion and the Whites Run Pump Station was constructed. The plant currently serves 3,500 customers in the Cheat Lake area and is independent of the MUB owned and operated Star City WWTP system. The last sewer rate increase for the Cheat Lake service area was a decade ago in 2014.

The purpose of the project is to increase capacity of the Cheat Lake WWTP to serve customers over the next 20 years. This project will facilitate future growth and development while meeting the requirements of federal and state regulations related to water quality in the receiving water body of Cheat Lake. Currently, the plant's capacity is occasionally surpassed during large rain events when flows exceed the plant’s design. With the last major upgrade completed in 2001, Cheat Lake WWTP’s equipment and facilities are approaching the end of their service life. To maintain compliance with our NPDES permit limits while serving future development, upgrades are required.

Future upgrades will also be required of the Whites Run Pump Station and Greystone Pump Station. Due to project bids exceeding the funding capacities of this project, pump station upgrades were removed from the current project scope.

Project Description
This project will provide significant upgrades to the Cheat Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant’s capacity will be increased to 1.75 mgd (millions of gallons per day) from the current 0.75 mgd. This includes expansion to the south of the existing plant onto land purchased by MUB for this purpose in 2018.

In addition to increasing capacity, improvements and renovations include pumping systems, preliminary treatment, biological activated sludge, disinfection, effluent outfall, biosolids management, odor control, stormwater collection, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), electrical distribution system, emergency standby power, lighting, security systems, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and site utility work.

Benefits
This project involves installation of UV disinfectant that will provide state-of-the-art treatment processes, odor control to improve air quality adjacent the facility, standby power to support plant operations in the event of a power outage, and treatment system resiliency to meet permit limits and protect the receiving body of Cheat Lake. In addition, we will also restore 920+ feet of stream channel (Kelly Run).

The increase of treatment capacity of the plant from the current 0.75 mgd to 1.75 mgd is designed to meet the estimated growth needs of the area for the next 20 years. The upgrade will also make the plant more readily expandable to support future area growth.

Project Status
Mele & Mele & Sons out of Braddock, Pennsylvania are the successful low bidder and have been awarded the contract on the project. Additionally, MUB has secured an additional grant from the WDA, brining their total contribution to $8,050,000. With the WV CWSRF having closed on the project loan on December 10th, work is expected to commence January 2025.

Estimated Rate Adjustments
Total construction cost of the project is currently estimated at $46,092,631. Funding for the project is scheduled as follows:

  • WV Department of Environmental Protection SRF Loan: $33,489,214
  • WV Water Development Authority ARPA Grant: $ 8,050,000
  • WV Department of Environmental Protection Grant: $ 500,000
  • WV Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council Grant: $ 165,000
  • MUB Contribution $ 3,888,417
  • Total $46,092,631

To meet these funding obligations, the following rate adjustments are effective November 29, 2024:

Usage Based on Metered Water Supplied

Previous Rate Per 1,000 Gallons

Rate Per 1,000 Gallons Effective November 29, 2024

First 2,000 per month
or 4,000 bi-monthly

$10.85

$21.70

Next 8,000 per month
or 16,000 bi-monthly

$9.92

$19.84

Next 20,000 per month
or 40,000 bi-monthly

$9.30

$18.60

Next 30,000 per month
or 60,000 bi-monthly

$8.68

$17.36

Next 940,000 per month
or 1,880,000 bi-monthly

$7.44

$14.88

Next 1,000,000 per month
or 2,000,000 bi-monthly

$6.82

$13.64

Public Participation

In February of 2024, MUB leadership conducted a presentation on the project to the Cheat Lake Rotary Club. A copy of that presentation is available here.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, MUB's Board of Directors held their monthly meeting at The Cranberry Hotel in Cheat Lake. During this meeting, design phase information was presented by Strand Associates to the Board of Directors and the public for the first time. Public input was taken and received at the meeting. A copy of the presentation given by Strand Associates at the board of directors meeting is available here via Dropbox. A video of the meeting can be found here via YouTube.

MUB's Board of Directors was held a meeting July 9, 2024, at Lakeview Golf Resort. The information below is available from this meeting...

MUB monthly Board of Directors meetings are open to the public and conducted in strict accordance with West Virginia State Code, including advance public notice of the time and place. The meeting agendas are provided to the local newspaper, posted on the MUB Web site, and shared on the website for the City of Morgantown. You can follow MUB on Facebook and on Twitter for agenda postings. Public comment is solicited at every monthly meeting. You can also send comments to MUB via mail or online or by email to mubmail@mub.org.

Other Resources

The documents below will open in the Dropbox file sharing application.


Project Manager:

Ken Hacker
Senior Engineer
(304) 292-8443
khacker@mub.org

Project Engineer
Strand Associates

Project Timeline

  • Advertisement for Bids
    August 22, 2024
  • August 29, 2024
  • Bid Openings
    October 22, 2024
  • Closing on Loan
    December 10, 2024
  • Notice to Proceed for Construction
    December 10, 2024
  • Substantial Completion of Construction
    March 2027
  • Final Completion of Construction
    June 2027
  • Construction Contract
    $37,575,000