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The plant expansion will change the capacity levels of the treatment plant to treat water more efficiently and to better meet permit levels, Sanitary Board Executive Director Brian Bracey said.

The plant is at 98% capacity. On a wet weather day, it can process about 14 million to 15 million gallons per day, Water Quality Board Communications Director Bryan Chambers said in an email. Anything above that level is not treated to permittable limits and is discharged into the Ohio River, putting the Sanitary Board at risk of being fined by state and federal regulatory agencies.

More than 365 miles of sewer lines, 35 sewage pump stations and 280 grinder pump stations send sewage to the treatment plant, which has an average flow of 9 million to 12 million gallons on a dry weather day, Chambers said.

�����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s always scary when you get a lot of rain events,�����Ƶ� Bracey said. �����Ƶ�We discharge more pollution into the water, not only at the plant but a multitude of other places.

�����Ƶ�We�����Ƶ�re building a system, a plant that can, one, handle that capacity, two, the velocity �����Ƶ� being able to pump more efficiently out of the pipes,�����Ƶ� he said.

The expansion project will enable the plant to treat 17 million gallons on a dry day and up to 64 million gallons on a wet weather day.

The project also includes a new administration building with offices, locker rooms and laboratory spaces.

The bid also seeks construction of a new submersible pumping station and modifications to an existing pumping station.

The wastewater treatment plant was constructed in 1964 and has seen few upgrades since then. It serves approximately 27,000 customers in Huntington and surrounding areas, including customers served by the towns of Ceredo and Kenova and the Northern Wayne, Spring Valley and Pea Ridge public service districts.

The project, however, goes beyond increasing capacity and ensuring wastewater is processed appropriately before it is discharged into the Ohio River, Chambers said. It also represents an investment in Huntington�����Ƶ�s economic future.

An economic impact study conducted last year by Chmura Economics & Analytics forecasted a total economic impact of $101.6 million, the creation and support of 618 jobs and $5.1 million in taxes paid to the city and state during the construction phase.

After the expansion project is completed, it will contribute $293 million annually to the regional economy, supporting 1,292 jobs and generating $900,000 in tax revenue for Huntington every year, the study found.

The Sanitary Board is currently accepting bids for the expansion project from construction contractors. Electronic bids for the construction of the project will be received until 2 p.m. Thursday, May 15, 2025. At that time the bids received will be publicly downloaded and read aloud via teleconference.

The project is expected to be completed in 2030.