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Council hears water-utility financing plan; hydraulic testing underway
Summary
Councilmembers said Phase 1 repairs for the town water plant will be funded by a 50% grant (up to $500,000) from the West Virginia Water Development Authority and a 2% IJDC loan for the town match; the town is also seeking $1,000,000 via Army Corps funding and conducting hydraulic testing to confirm a working capacity of roughly 500,000 gallons.
Council members described a multi-step financing plan to address urgent repairs at the Town of Bath water plant. Speaker 5 said the town has a 50% match opportunity up to $500,000 from the West Virginia Water Development Authority, paired with a 2% IJDC loan to cover the required match; she said the Phase 1 package is the quickest way to start repairs and that the town remains in contention for a $1,000,000 Army Corps congressional-directed funding request.
"We had previously announced that we have a 50% match up to 500,000 from the West Virginia Water Development Authority, and the other 50% will come from an IJDC loan at 2%," Speaker 5 said. She added the Phase 1 repairs are urgent and will provide runway for later phases, noting an approximate $8,000,000 total to finish all work. Council also discussed plans to submit downtown-refresh grants and to stamp reports needed for grant applications.
Separately, waterworks staff said hydraulic testing is in progress to confirm the plant's pumping and distribution capacity; the working number discussed in the meeting was 500,000 gallons, which the town said will be validated by testing. Council members cautioned that hydraulic capacity (moving water through the system) is distinct from raw pump capacity and emphasized the need to confirm the flow-through numbers before committing to large development or expansion projects.
