Upgrades are in the works at the water treatment facility in Wintersville, to keep the village in federal compliance and improve water quality for residents.

The current plant has been operating for about 23 years and officials said it's time for repairs. It is still functioning properly, but village administrator Walt Ziemba said things could get worse in the future.

"Things are wearing out and we are just trying to be proactive here so that maintenance items don't nickel-and-dime us," Ziemba said.

The project is expected to cost $3.5 million and is being financed through grants and low-interest loans. Ziemba said it won't cost village water customers any extra.

"We're able to do this project without raising rates to the village residents," he said, adding that the grant and loans are incorporated into the existing rate structure.

As part of complying with Environmental Protection Agency regulations, crews are building a digester tank. They will also install a new, safer disinfection system to replace the current chlorine gas process.

Ziemba said one problem crews at the plant currently face is finding items like rags and grease, which back up the process. Soon that won't happen, though.

"We are installing a grit- and grease-removal system at the head works of the plant, where it will remove these items before going through our process. And hopefully, that will help save us money down the road," he said.

Ziemba said there will be heavy truck traffic in the village over the next year or so during the project. He said residents should be careful and drive safely, as always.