BUFFALO, W.Va. – It’s deja vu in Putnam County. Two days after the Do Not Use order was lifted, West Virginia American Water issued a Do Not Drink/Limited Contact notice to customers in Buffalo, Frazier’s Bottom and Pliny shortly before 7 a.m. Friday.
“New water sampling results indicate additional flushing and sampling is required in this area until
water quality sampling data can be determined.”
That was the word from a WVAWC press release.
“New sample results indicated a split sample result with one reading above 1 ppm and one reading below 1 ppm.”
Joe Martin is a member of Buffalo Town Council. He thought the worst was behind them.
“I was hoping we weren’t going to be back in this position but I guess we’re here,” he said.
He and several other town leaders were gathered at the Buffalo water distribution site talking about the latest warning.
“It didn’t really surprise me just by smelling the water. We’ve been smelling [licorice] for the past couple of days now,” he said.
Anita Walters, who lives in Midway, stopped by the distribution site to pick up more bottled water. She called the entire situation unacceptable.
“I am so frightened about the water! I do not trust it. I think it’s toxic.”
She said she has no faith left in West Virginia American Water.
“It’s scarey. I don’t trust them,” she stressed. “I just don’t trust what they’re saying.”
Just down the road at Stokes Grocery, John Tucker wasn’t putting the blame on WVAW but rather Freedom Industries.
“I know everybody is down on the water company but they don’t have control over the way [Freedom] stores their chemicals,” he said.
At the Buffalo Diner they were open for business. That’s because owner William Desimone is still using bottled water.
“We’re not using [tap water] at this point in time, just as a liability factor, good or not, until everything clears and everything settles down,” said Desimone.