WEIRTON — As the projects to expand the treatment capacity of Weirton’s water and wastewater treatment plants near completion, city utility customers will begin to see an increase in their bills.

The increases are the second part of a two-stage rate adjustment connected to the expansion of the treatment capacity of both plants from their current 4 million gallons per day to 8 million gallons per day.

“The community will see it in their April billing,” explained Utilities Director A.D. “Butch” Mastrantoni.

Mastrantoni indicated information explaining the increase in rates will be included with customers’ bills, which will cover water and sewage use for March.

For sanitary services, there will be a minimum charge of $16, with a $14 monthly customer charge and a metered rate of $8 per 1,000 gallons.

There also is an unmetered customer charge of $50, which is a flat rate equivalent to 4,500 gallons of water used per month.

This is an increase from the current rates of $12 for a minimum sanitary charge, plus a customer charge of $10 per month, with a metered rate of $6 per 1,000 gallons and an unmetered charge of $37 per month.

On the water side, minimum monthly charges will increase from $17 per month to $20 per month, with the customer charge going from $9.25 to $11 and the commodity rate increasing from its current $7.75 per 1,000 gallons used to $9 per 1,000 gallons.

A flat-rate monthly charge for unmetered properties will be set at $51.50, representing a rate equivalent to 4,500 gallons of water usage, as well as the $11 customer charge.

The first step of the rate increases went into effect in 2022, shortly after Weirton Council approved Ordinances 2185 and 2186.

A groundbreaking for the $44 million water plant project took place in August 2024, with officials currently estimating substantial completion in June.

The $37 million wastewater treatment plant, meanwhile, is set to be completed in late April, after kicking off in April 2024.

Both projects are under contract with Triton Construction.

Planning for the expansion projects began in January 2019, when local officials were notified of interest from a large manufacturing company potentially locating in Weirton. At the time, both the Weirton Area Water Board and the Weirton Sanitary Board noted limited-service capacity would not be able to properly serve additional residential or business growth in the community.