CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two years after the Elk River chemical spill that contaminated water for hundreds of thousands of residents in the Mountain State, a new report has promoted the need for a public water system.
The report by Boston Action Research, a project of the Civil Society Institute, focused on the continued failures of West Virginia American Water Company.
“It would be wonderful to be releasing a report today on the second anniversary of the (water) crisis saying that things are much better when it comes to safe, clean drinking water in West Virginia. But that wouldn’t be accurate,” said senior energy analyst Grant Smith.
Advocates for a Safe Water System, which formed following the 2014 crisis, has called for an alternative water system ever since.
“So that our community can determine the priorities for investment in our water system,” said Cathy Kunkel with the group. “So that any rate increases will go toward fixing our failing infrastructure rather than increasing dividend payment to shareholders, and so that we can have a water system that’s transparent within our community.”
WVAWC’s recent request for a 28 percent rate hike didn’t sit well with the group given recent issues.
“This past summer tens of thousands of people were without water for several days after a major main break,” Kunkel said. “West Virginia American Water doesn’t want us to know what it did wrong, but it wants us to pay the bill.”
Smith said the problem would only get worse as infrastructure becomes older.
“As the infrastructure ages and deteriorates due to historic neglect, the water system experiences high leak rates, plus frequent boil water notices when mains fail,” he said. “Repairs in deferred investment require considerable infusions of cash, including the most recent 28 percent proposal.”
The 75-page report was released Thursday with support from the Advocates for a Safe Water System, and the Charleston branch of the NAACP.
In Jan. 2014, a chemical storage tank at the Freedom Industries facility spilled Crude MCHM and other chemicals into the Elk River less than two miles upstream from West Virginia American’s regional drinking water intake.