MOUNT OLIVE, W.Va. — Partial water service has been restored to the state’s maximum security prison in Fayette County.
State Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety spokesman Larry Messina confirmed to MetroNews Saturday morning that crews were able to restore water pressure for showers at Mount Olive State Prison Friday evening.
The prison has been without full water supplies since Monday when the Gauley River Public Service District sustained a pump problem with its system. After the pump was fixed there was a leak detected in the prison’s plumbing system, Messina said.
“The PSD detected a leak between that pumping station and a storage/pressure tank that serves MOCC. It has taken a few more days to resolve that,” he said.
Those at the prison, which currently has about 1,000 inmates, have bottled water to drink and tanker trucks of water for cooking and cleaning. Portable toilets have also been brought in, Messina said.
The Gauley River PSD posted an alert on its website Friday lifting its previous boil water advisory.