CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Public water distributions could resume as early as Friday morning in parts of the nine West Virginia counties where crude MCHM and PPH contaminated the water supply in early January.
Three weeks after the Jan. 9 chemical leak, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced Thursday afternoon unused bottled water from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was being moved from areas of low demand to areas of high demand
“There are still in certain areas of the nine-county region where people are still asking for water and, as long as we do have the water here, I’m going to make sure we get it out,” said Tomblin.
“For those people who are still not comfortable with drinking or using the water, that water will be available.”
In addition to bottled water distributions, West Virginia American Water Company was preparing to restart the refilling of water tankers, outside of the affected region, to be set up in assigned locations in the affected region.
Most recently, Tomblin said, it’s been too cold for those tankers. “Hopefully, with the weather supposedly going to warm up this weekend, we’ll have those strategically located around the area where they’re requested,” he said.
No public distribution points had been established as of early Thursday evening, but Tomblin said county officials would provide that information to residents once site had been reestablished.
“I had no idea that we were going to be three weeks into it, to the day, and still be faced with this situation,” Tomblin told MetroNews on Thursday.