A 10-year strategy to help bring water and wastewater systems to McDowell County residents and businesses is in the works.
Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, made the announcement Friday.
The $160,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the McDowell County Public Service District (MCPSD) will develop a 10-year strategic plan and provide technical assistance to expand and regionalize MCPSD’s water and wastewater systems throughout the county, serving 3,163 households and 328 businesses.
“I recently joined the communities of Keystone and Northfork to mark the completion of the Elkhorn Phase II water project, made possible by the hard work of the McDowell County Public Service District,” Capito said. “This funding will help continue the District’s efforts to secure essential services for thousands of West Virginians. I appreciate ARC’s support, and I will continue to lead on bringing infrastructure improvements to our state.”
Manchin said it’s a crucial investment.
“The Appalachian Regional Commission’s continued investment in revitalizing and strengthening Appalachia is great news for our state and the entire region,” he said. “I’m pleased to announce this funding for McDowell County to upgrade and improve regional water infrastructure to help ensure every West Virginian has access to clean, safe water.”
Manchin said investing in local communities “creates good-paying jobs and spurs economic opportunity, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this funding. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to boost economic growth across the Mountain State.”
Many McDowell County communities have been plagued by water and sewer issues.
Twice in the last few years, the City of Gary has had to have water brought in for residents because of supply issues.
Keystone and Northfork also have faced serious water issues.
During the 2020 water crisis in Gary, Gov. Jim Justice mobilized state agencies to help.
“For decades and decades, people from many rural areas West Virginia, but especially those from southern West Virginia, have experienced far too many issues with their water systems, particularly in communities that inherited their water systems long ago,” Justice said at that time. “That’s why we need to go beyond just delivering water, get to the root of the problem, and find a way to fix this water system and others like it to make sure our people have reliable access to the water they need in their daily lives.”