All News Releases By Date

Welch Gets EPA Grant to Upgrade Sewers

Release Date: 9/7/2000
Contact Information: Roy Seneca, (215) 814-5567

Roy Seneca, 215-814-5567

WELCH, W. Va. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $815,000 grant to the city of Welch, McDowell County to help pay for continued improvements to the city’s sewer system.

This award increases to $6.4 million EPA’s overall funding for sewer improvements in Welch. A previous EPA grant funded a new wastewater treatment plant. This grant funds new sanitary sewer lines and the replacement of part of the combined sewer system with separate sanitary and storm sewer lines. These improvements were completed in 1999.

“Old, inadequate sewer systems are a major cause of water pollution problems in many cities nationwide. These further upgrades of the Welch sewer system are preventing polluted waters from entering waterways and improving water quality,” said Bradley M. Campbell, administrator for EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

This construction project has virtually eliminated the discharge of raw sewage into Browns Creek, and substantially reduced discharges during wet weather into the Tug Fork River, a popular spot for trout fishing. Specifically, the project replaced broken sanitary sewers in Browns Creek and Edmore Village areas, separated combined sewers in the Summers and Virginia streets areas, and funded new diversion structures to control combined sewer discharges from combined sewers.

The grant increase will pay for 55 percent of the additional project costs, and the City of Welch will provide the 45 percent local cost share.