Computer problem causes Kingwood sewer plant to lose years of data

KINGWOOD — The Kingwood sewer plant lost years of data in a recent computer snafu.
Sewer Supervisor Nick Wolfe told the Kingwood Sewer Board Tuesday that the plant’s SCADA — Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition — program was lost during an upgrade.
A company that supplies the systems was able to retrieve the program and get it back online, but data going back six years is still missing. Wolfe is hopeful that too can be retrieved. He noted that Philippi had a similar problem and was able to find its data.
He said Wednesday that the data is used for monthly reports to the State Department of Environmental Protection. Those reports are up-to-date. SCADA monitors inflow and outflow at the plant, the RPMs of motors in the system and trends, like changes in overnight flows.
The data is used to determine how much inflow is received and treated, versus the amount customers are billed for. That’s key as Kingwood struggles to lower the influx of storm water to the plant as mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Mayor Jean Guillot, a member of the sewer board, noted in one month of heavy rains, the plant treated 24 million gallons of water, while customers were billed for 3 million gallons that went through meters at their homes and businesses.
The board has begun a program of smoke testing the town, section by section, to determine where storm water is entering the sanitary sewers from homes and businesses. The first property owners were notified earlier this year, and another round of smoke testing is planned to determine if the storm drains were removed from the sewers.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting,
Wolfe told the board the first of two baskets installed in sewer lines in the Miller Road area has pinpointed one source of materials put into sewers that are plugging the lines.
“We pulled [the basket] out and there was a pile of baby wipes already,” after a week, Wolfe said. “The basket was clear full and it was actually running over the basket.” There were also, “big balls of grease,” he said, holding his hands to show about the size of a soccer ball.
The materials are believed to have come from Pine Ridge of West Virginia, a nursing home, the board said. It plans to contact Administrator Joe Seese, who also is a city councilman.
A basket is also being installed at Preston Manor, an apartment complex.
the board agreed the mayor will ask council to rescind the recently passed amended sewer ordinance. It will be rewritten by attorney David Glover of Clarksburg and brought back for council to pass again.
Glover had advised the board not to enforce provisions of the ordinance because it was not submitted to the State Public Service Commission according to PSC deadlines.
asked City Clerk Mary Howell to check with the PSC on whether Don Smith has to build a line to the sewer in the Pleasantdale area or should install a septic system. The terrain includes a steep gully and several hundred feet to the line.