The Weirton Area Port Authority is working to reduce the amount of pollution going into the Ohio River with a storm-water system in the Half Moon Industrial Park.

Officials told NEWS9's Briona Arradondo Thursday that a large amount of rain caused at least 10 inches of flooding at several businesses in the past and the standing water would occasionally look black from pollutants. It interrupted day-to-day business, Port Authority Chairman B.J. DeFelice said.

Local contractors worked to connect several manholes to the storm-water system, so that storm run-off water will flow into the retention pond and filter any contaminants since the water eventually becomes drinking water for area residents, DeFelice said.

Over time, he said the pollution program will expand from behind the terminal to other locations.

"This is next generation, new technologies that will be tied into various communities as this grows, and it will help control the pollution, minimize, mitigate and also identify the problem areas," said DeFelice.

Inside the manholes are sensors that can tell what is in the water and where it's coming from, DeFelice said. The next step is working with industrial park businesses on where to place the next storm-water connection, he said.

Officials said the project is about three-quarters of the way finished, and they expect to complete the work in the next couple of weeks.