Sep. 26—MORGANTOWN — In summer 2021 — much like summer 2025, flooding was a major topic of conversation.
Back-to-back storms in June and July of that year dumped historic amounts of rain across Monongalia County, overwhelming portions of the Morgantown Utility Board stormwater system — even portions designed to handle 100-year rains.
In response, MUB hired Strand Associates for $40, 000 to complete the first phase of what it hoped would be a multi-phase flood control study and plan. As it turned out, it would be the only phase. West Virginia University and the West Virginia Division of Highways — which own their own systems interconnected with MUB’s — both opted not to participate in the $300, 000 second phase.
Even so, there was valuable information gained.
For example, more than 40 of the identified flooding locations following the June and July 2021 storms fell within the Popenoe Run and Burrough’s Run watersheds.
To bolster both streams to handle 100-year rains would have been a $30 million to $40 million undertaking in 2022 dollars.
A more incremental approach would be necessary.
So MUB approached both the city of Morgantown and the Monongalia County Commission about allocating $1 million each in American Rescue Plan Act money for a project to address the upper section of Popenoe Run that passes through both the city and county.
Both agreed.
Today, that work is complete outside a handful of final punchlist items.
Over the last nine months or so, Laurita Excavating, MUB’s contractor on the job, replaced 3, 500 feet of sewer main and 1, 000 feet of service laterals, constructed 33 manholes, installed 560 feet of storm main with five new storm inlets and rehabilitated the culvert beneath Hoffman Avenue.
“What we did was lower the sanitary sewer main running parallel to Popenoe Run by two to three feet. This permitted us to reroute sanitary sewer service laterals beneath the stream to protect them from stream flows, ” MUB Senior Engineer Ken Hacker said. “This is significant given that service laterals were connected above normal stream flows, frequently breaking during high water events.”
Additionally, the sewer main was enlarged.
“The original sewer main ranged from six inches, eight inches and 10 inches in diameter. The six-inch mains were increased to eight-inches while the eight and 10-inch lines were increased to 12 inches, ” Hacker said.
The more visible part of the job involved the restoration of 3, 000 feet of the Popenoe Run stream.
“When we began, many parts of Popenoe Run were a V-shaped ditch with eroded banks. Much of the channel had filled in and could be stepped across, ” Hacker said.
The project reshaped the entire length of the stream and stream banks to establish a 9-foot-wide normal flow channel. High flow benches were then added to significantly increase the flow capacity of Popenoe Run.
The natural stabilization work included planting 206 trees native to this region of West Virginia, installation of permanent matting and seeding of a special riparian mix.
All told, the project ended up costing about $3.28 million, with MUB covering $1.28 million of that through sewer fees.
“This project is a great example of local governments coming together to solve important issues. Together, we implemented a solution that will protect public health and the environment for decades, “Hacker said. “We greatly appreciate the neighborhood enduring the inconvenience of the construction over the last nine months and Laurita Excavating for doing the job right. We hope that as this project matures and the stream and surrounding areas settle back into place, the residents have a beautiful urban stream that they can take pride in.”