$9.3M in USDA Grants Awarded During Triadelphia Event

TRIADELPHIA - Nearly $9.3 million in water and wastewater grants were awarded to municipalities across West Virginia on Friday, including $1.6 million for the town of Triadelphia.

Representatives from five different locations gathered at Triadelphia's Town Hall for the announcement by officials with the United States Department of Agriculture West Virginia including its director, Ryan Thorn; AC Wiethe, director of management services at Belomar Regional Council; Triadelphia Mayor Tom Allietta and others.

Congratulatory messages were also read by representatives of U.S. Sen. Joe Machin, D-W.Va.; U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; and U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va.

Triadelphia's project includes a loan and grant for upgrades to its sewer collection system.

"The collection system has excessive inflow and infiltration causing a range of costly environmental issues," according to USDA. "The project will provide the town with a collection system substantially less prone to inflow and infiltration."

Allietta noted the project is much needed.

"The sewers are all old. We've got iron pipe that breaks occasionally," he said. "The sewer system back in the '70s, they thought it was a good idea to run it down the middle of the creek.

"Over the years all the manhole covers are leaking," he added. "When the creek comes up, which it does occasionally, all the water goes into the sewer which goes through a meter, which goes into the city of Wheeling and they charge us a rate."

To remedy the issue the pipes will be relined and the manhole covers fixed and sealed properly so they do not leak, he said. It would be too expensive to try and move the pipes out of the creek, he added.

"When it floods, it should be tight," Allietta said.

Another portion of the project involves replacing several old water lines in the town. He noted the projects will be bid out together and are anticipated to start this year, possibly June or July.

Other projects that received money on Friday include: $4.8 million for the Red Sulphur Public Service District; $1.1 million for the town of Wardensville; $940,000 for the Claywood Park Public Service District; and $814,000 for the Mason County Public Service District.