MARTINS FERRY — Work continues to move forward on major upgrades at Martins Ferry’s water treatment plant, with city officials reporting recent progress on several key components of the multimillion-dollar project.

Martins Ferry Service Director Andy Sutak said construction of a new roof at the plant has been completed, resolving earlier issues.

“The roof is complete on the water plant. They finished up the other day. They cleaned up around it. The roof is done. There were some issues with leaks and stuff but now everything is good,” Sutak said in an update to city leaders on Wednesday.

The new roof carries a 20-year guarantee, Sutak noted.

Rehabilitation of the plant’s filter beds is also advancing, marking another significant step in the ongoing improvements.

“The water plant is still moving. We got two major projects done. One filter bed is about all cleaned out. We are waiting for the epoxy to seal and so on,” he said.

“Hopefully by the first week of February we will have one filter bed working and move on to the next one and, in a month or two, will have the other filter bed all done.”

Preparations are also underway for new ozone treatment equipment that will disinfect the city’s water by destroying bacteria, viruses and parasites, while helping remove iron, manganese and sulfur. The system is designed to improve overall water quality.

“In the near future, we will get our ozone equipment set up and ready to go,” Sutak said. “We are going to take two tanks out so we will have a bigger area to put them in. I think it will make it better for us in the long run.”

Sutak said other technological upgrades at the facility are nearing completion, including automation and pump station improvements.

“The SCADA system is about all done and set. All of our pump stations are complete. They are done and set. They’re good,” he said. “All that we wanted to get done, we are. We hope to have the plant done by early spring no later than May. Things are progressing in the right direction.”

The water plant upgrades are part of a broader infrastructure initiative that includes street repairs, pump station work and system modernization. City officials have said the improvements represent a roughly $6 million investment aimed at extending the life of the water treatment plant, which serves more than 15,000 customers daily, while improving reliability and efficiency.

As work at the water plant continues, the city is also looking ahead to additional infrastructure needs, including valve replacements throughout the city.

“Valve replacements are needed in some crucial areas where valves are so we can get in there and shit them off when we have a waterbreak,” Sutak said.