DHHR hosts hearing in Huntington on WVAWC’s water protection plan

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — State health officials will consider public comments Wednesday in Huntington regarding West Virginia American Water Company’s Source Water Protection Plan.

A public hearing, hosted by the state Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health, will held at the Tristate Fire Academy on 4200 Ohio River Road from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday.

VIEW: Water utility’s protection plan

“We’re hoping to have a well-attended hearing for the individual to come and listen to basically what is a source water protection plan and, particularly, the Huntington water system’s plan,” said Bill Toomey, program director for the state DHHR Bureau for Public Health.

The DHHR must review 125 plans that were submitted earlier this year as a response to the 2014 chemical leak and water emergency that followed impacting residents in parts of nine counties. Those plans, now required by law, were optional before the water emergency.

The plans outline preparation in case there is contamination to the water used in any water system, Toomey said.

“Source water does have the potential to reduce the risk of contamination and health impacts and reduce the cost of water treatment where necessary; therefore, source water protection planning should be pursued as the first step in the multi-barrier approach to drinking water protection,” he said.

WVAWC’s Huntington system was spared in the water emergency from two years ago. That impacted water from the Kanawha Valley Plant on the Elk River in Charleston that serves customers in parts of nine counties.The DHHR has yet to announce the hearing date for the company’s source water protection plan for that system.

Public comments may be submitted during Wednesday’s hearing or in writing by Sept. 21.

“I would imagine they’re very interested in how the local public is being engaged with the development of the plan,” Toomey said.

The plans include options for alternative water sources, looking at water loss within a system and meeting with those agencies that will be involved in the response if an emergency does happen.

The DHHR has nearly 60 additional hearings planned throughout the year.

Residents may submit comments via mail at:

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
Bureau for Public Health, Office of Environmental Health
350 Capitol Street, Room 313
Charleston, WV 25301-3713
Attn: Source Water Protection Program

Fax comments to 304-558-4322 with “”Protection Plan Comments” written near the top or email EEDSourceWaterProtection@wv.gov with “Protection Plan Comments” in the subject line.





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