BCPSWD to receive $3 million from EPA for Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant replacement

BUNKER HILL — Berkeley County is one step closer to replacing its 65-year-old water treatment plant in Bunker Hill thanks to an investment of $3 million from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand clean drinking water capacity in the southern portion of the county.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., issued individual statements regarding EPA’s financial award to the Berkeley County Public Service Water District (BCPSWD) for the replacement of the Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant.

As the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Capito said the funding was secured through a congressionally directed spending request which she made.

“As communities in Berkeley County continue to grow and develop, the need for additional clean water infrastructure is critical,” Capito said in the release.

“This funding is a step in the process of directing the resources that these communities need to provide clean water to the growing number of residents and businesses in the area,” Capito added. “As ranking member of the Environmental and Public Works Committee and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was proud to use the (congressionally directed spending) process to help make this project a reality.”

According to both releases, BCPSWD is on track to eclipse 30,000 metered connections in the near future, a number which has increased by 1,000 new customers for the past four years.

Manchin’s release stated that the senator also made a congressionally directed spending request for the Bunker Hill facility through the fiscal year 2023 funding bill.

“I am pleased the EPA is investing $3 million to support designing and constructing a new water treatment plant in Bunker Hill,” Manchin said in the release. “In order to ensure every West Virginian has access to clean, safe water, we must continue to upgrade and improve our water infrastructure. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for funding to ensure our communities have the resources they need for long-term success.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee allows members of Congress to submit congressionally directed spending requests. This provides an opportunity for state and local governments, nonprofits and other public entities to receive targeted funding for projects that bolster their communities and directly support West Virginians.

The Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant is located at 97 Runnymead Road. Project plans were recently approved through a unanimous vote by the Berkeley County Planning Commission during their Feb. 5 meeting.