PADEN CITY — More than $5 million of an investment in rural water infrastructure is heading to Paden City, where water quality had been a concern for months.
Paden City had long been working on its water treatment plant, ever since elevated levels of tetrachloroethylene, commonly referred to as PCE, were found in the city’s water. PCE is a colorless, nonflammable liquid dry-cleaning agent and metal degreasing solvent.
Published reports indicated that when work began in February on upgrades to the plant, there was no immediate public health risk.
On May 8, installation of an air stripper unit — which runs air through contaminated groundwater, vaporizing certain organic compounds — was completed at the plant. Three days later, the city’s Facebook page announced that PCE tests came back with none of the compound detected.
Repeated calls to the city’s administrators and the water department for further comment were not immediately returned.
“All West Virginians deserve access to these basic services, and I will continue to advocate for the improvement projects the people of our state need,” said Capito, a member of the appropriations committee responsible for allocating the funding.
“Improving and upgrading our infrastructure is a never-ending cycle, but it’s worth every penny to ensure West Virginians have the basic amenities every human should have,” Manchin added.
An additional $725,000 was also allocated to a Kanawha County public service district near Interstate 64.