SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
THE THRASHER GROUP
From a State of Crisis
to State-of-the-Art
Addressing Crown’s
Wastewater System
Many small rural communities lack a public infrastruc-
ture system that is rarely considered: wastewater treatment.
In the small coal mining community of Crown, located
in Monongalia County, WV, more than 40 households
were plagued by the lack of an appropriate wastewater
collection system resulting in extreme conditions bor-
dering on a public health crisis. The problem came to a
head when a report released by the Monongalia County
Health Department titled “Crown—A Rural Community
Living in an On-Site Waste Water Management Crisis”
reached the hands of the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection (WVDEP).
Crown wastewater plant filter beds.
“From the stench in the summer to the solids flowing
through the streets, the conditions in the community
of Crown parallel those in third-world countries,” the
Monongalia County Health Department said of the ab-
horrent conditions.
The report ignited conversation among established
public sewer utilities in the area to sponsor a project for
the installation and operation of a sewer system for the
community of Crown.
In collaboration with the WVDEP, Greater Paw Paw
Sanitary District and Monongalia County Health Depart-
ment, The Thrasher Group designed what would become
an American Council of Engineering Companies-West
Virginia award-winning project. The project also gar-
nered national recognition for its innovation and inge-
nuity from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Faced with the challenge of solving a decades-long
health and environmental catastrophe, Thrasher’s team
analyzed potential solutions to best serve the long-term
goals of Crown. Thrasher decided to use energy-efficient
technologies, including a gravity-fed system and filtration
media called Black Beauty, which is a byproduct of coal-
fired power plants. The energy-saving design meant the
project was eligible to receive 100 percent grant funding
as green infrastructure through the state’s Clean Water
State Revolving Fund.
Thrasher’s design, inspired by typical STEP systems,
was constructed on a tract of five acres graciously do-
nated by CONSOL and utilized a conventional gravity
collection system and large septic tanks at the plant. The
design accommodated for the limited space and terraced
terrain of the area, leaving Crown with a system that is
both cost effective and expandable in the future. Today,
almost three years after this roughly $1.5 million proj-
ect was completed, the residents of Crown have a safe
and sustainable wastewater system. No longer burdened
with the evidence of raw sewage in their yards, residents
are able to step outside and enjoy their little piece of
Almost Heaven.
Beckley | Bridgeport | Burton | Charleston
www.thethrashergroup.com | 1-800-273-6541