KIMBALL – What looks like an array of solar panels outside a local food bank is actually drawing the food bank’s most requested item right out of the air.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. paid a visit Thursday to McDowell County to help celebrate the completion of the local public service district’s Elkhorn Phase II Water Project, which is bringing clean drinking water to hundreds of residents in the Northfork and Keystone areas.

After the celebration, Capito traveled to Kimball and visited the Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that helps feed the area’s hungry. There Director Linda McKinney gave Capito a tour of the big facility and described its operations.

Capito was also treated to what McKinney and her husband, Bob McKinney, called “miracle water,” the water distilled by panels that are part of the Appalachian Water Project, which works with the nonprofit DigDeep organization.

Linda McKinney told Capito that while people come to the food bank seeking food and items like diapers and hygiene products, water is the item they need most of all.

After viewing the water distilling panels and sampling their product, Capito spoke with B.J. Davis, chief relationships manager for DigDeep.

DigDeep first focused its water projects internationally in places like the south of Sudan and Cameroon, but CEO and founder George McGraw thatlearned parts of the United States, one of the richest countries in the world, had pressing needs for water, Davis said. A study conducted in 2019 by the nonprofit U.S. Alliance for Water and the University of Michigan identified six “hot spots” across the country that had issues with getting clean water, and McDowell County is one of them.

In those six hot spots, about 2.2 million Americans don’t have access to clean running water, Davis told Capito.

The nonprofit U.S Water Alliance and the University of Michigan did the study in 2019, Through that research, Dig Deep was introduced to Linda and Bob McKinney and the food bank, Davis recalled.

“One of the first things asked for at the food bank is water. Clean water,” Davis said. “And so we built from that, which is where the hydro panels came around, providing the food bank with a consistent source of water to provide to the folks in the community. and then moving to putting some actual boots on the ground and hiring Bob and a local work crew that know folks and know the community and continue to expand our work here. and we continue to do research. We do this part of this and we do the work on the ground and from other research project.”

Funding for DigDeep and the local Appalachian Water Project comes mostly through individuals, corporations and foundations, Davis told Capito.

Capito discussed $495,840 she secured in direct spending to provide sanitary septic and sewerage service to 35 households, including 80 people, through the DigDeep Appalachia Water Project. Capito said that in total, she secured $241,135,000 in direct spending measures across West Virginia through the FY 2022 appropriations omnibus package.

“We were very fortunate to get the earmark for some sanitation work that we’re piloting here,” Davis said.

DigDeep is partnering with the McDowell County PSD on the septic work, too, Davis said.

“Right now we’re working in the Coalwood area, putting a sewer plant in there, Bob McKinney said. “It’s about a year and a half away (from completion).”

The Appalachian Water Project also runs water lines to PSD water and sewer lines, he said. Doing such a link cost about $1,800 apiece. About 198 such links have been done.

When DigDeep goes into a community, it’s with the knowledge that the organization will be there for about a decade to complete its work, Davis said.

“They hired me about a year and a half ago. George came in– George McCraw, he’s the CEO – and he knew about the food bank so he came up and talked to Linda,” Bob McKinney recalled. “And Linda said, well, you might want to meet my husband. He’s got all these certifications.”

“And I’m not trying to be a hero,” he added. “It’s a ministry, OK? She does the food and I do the water. It’s separate, but it’s a means for us to live, also it helps with the food bank.”

The Appalachian Water Project can be contacted atappalachiawaterproject.org, and the Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank can be reached at 304-585-7295.