Public Works Departments

Water Pollution Control Division

Russell J. Jebbia, Public Works Director

Albert K. Campbell, Superintendent

Operations: Daniel Villani

Maintenance: Thomas Seifert

Electrical: Edward Martin

Collection: Robert Weisner

Accounting: Michaelene Raskiewicz

History

The City of Wheeling was incorporated in 1806. As with almost all sewer systems of that era, the City is known as a Combined Sewer System (CSS) in that the system carries both sanitary sewage and storm water runoff. When originally constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, the system did not include sewage treatment in any form and thus there was no reason for sanitary sewage and storm water to be handled separately.

In 1960, the construction of the City’s wastewater treatment plant and a system of interceptor sewers were completed. The primary treatment plant was upgraded and completed to provide secondary treatment of combined sewage overflows in 1983. With the upgrade, the treatment plant has the ability to provide secondary treatment for wastewater flows up to 10 mgd (million gallons per day) with a total hydraulic capacity of approximately 30 mgd.

Today, the City of Wheeling’s wastewater treatment plant serves nearly all of Ohio County and more. By contractual agreement, it regionally receives and treats flows from the Village of Clearview, the City of Bethlehem, the Town of Triadelphia, the Ohio County Public Service District, and a small portion of Marshall County Public Service District.

The System

Waste arrives at the treatment plant by way of an interceptor sewer with the assistance of lift stations. There are approximately 400 miles of pipe throughout the City with a monitoring system to keep the flow moving to the plant. The maintenance of the treatment plant, the combined sewer lines, the separate sanitary sewer lines, the numerous manholes and lampholes is very important in that the system protects the health of the public from disease-causing bacteria and viruses as well as the water quality of our streams and river so our residents and visitors can enjoy the recreational activities they provide.

Treatment

The treatment plant is an activated sludge secondary treatment system that uses a biological system to remove organic pollutants from the flow stream. Sludge handling and treatment, an integral part of overall wastewater treatment, includes an anaerobic digestion system. The methane gas is used to heat part of the plant. Other energy saving features include a heat recovery system on the air piping which heats the north end of the site, and a plant effluent water system for non-potable water needs, which minimizes the need for city water.

When wastewater comes to the plant, the objective of the preliminary treatment is the removal of large debris, sand, and grit. After this step, the wastewater flow goes through the primary treatment process in which further solids and floatable material are removed and the clarified wastewater overflows to the secondary system. At this point, the flow (up to 15 mgd) is split between two sets of aeration tanks. Flow in excess of 15 mgd bypasses the aeration system and is chlorinated prior to discharge. Within the aeration tanks, bacteria biologically oxidize the organic pollutants in the wastewater. Clarified effluent from the tanks flows through the chlorine tanks for disinfection and is discharged to the Ohio River. The solids collected during the above process are degritted, thickened and pumped to the anaerobic digesters. The digested sludge is then dewatered by belt filter presses and trucked to a landfill for disposal.