PSC orders general investigation into Mingo PSD after water system failure

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A utility that provides the most basic life necessity to customers in Mingo County is now under investigation by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia for its failure to properly do so.

The general investigation into the Mingo County Public Service District comes after the entity stopped providing water to customers at the height of a snowstorm in early January. The PSD said they were unable to properly treat the water coming from the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River because of sediment build up in the equipment.

It was several days before water was provided to customers at local fire departments to help during the shut-down.

At the state level the PSC is asking for the investigation to “determine whether the district is unable to adequately service its customers, has been effectively abandoned by its management, and whether its management is grossly and willfully inefficient and unresponsive to the needs of its customers for adequate water service.”

The announcement of the investigation comes a day after the PSD started having issues with its system again during a cold snap the week of January 20th. It said that icy conditions in the river were causing issues. Customers reported low or no water pressure on Thursday.

In a Facebook post the PSD said that the warmer conditions on Friday (Jan. 24) were allowing them to work at full capacity, however they were asking people to limit water use to help others who had been without.

Mingo County Commissioner Thomas Taylor believes that the issues from earlier in the month were not caused by the weather conditions, but a lack of maintenance at the facility.

During the early January commissioner Taylor paid an unannounced visit to the treatment facility at Naugatuck. He said the sediment tanks hadn’t been emptied in years.

“I’m no water expert, but what I see there is that it’s not necessarily a river problem, or an ice problem, or a cold weather problem, it’s a neglect problem in my opinion,” he said. “Those sediment tanks are so full, the plant can’t pump more than 700 gallons a minute, typically we’re pumping 1500 to 1600 gallons a minute. We’re cut in half due to the fact the river is up and it’s muddy and murky and that causes more sediment to come into the tank,” he explained.

Earlier this month the Mingo County Commission approved emergency funding to allow crews to empty the tanks with vacuum trucks.

MetroNews reached out to the director of the Mingo County PSD on Friday but has not heard back yet. We will keep trying. Taylor told MetroNews weeks ago that “… there 100 percent needs to be accountability. This isn’t the first time this happened. We had the same problem last year during this time and we were told it was a weather situation,” he said.

A report about the operations at Mingo PSD is due to the state commission by July 14.

They are charged with recommending whether a receiver should take over the system.

In 2022 the Mingo PSD reported having 4,298 customers.

 





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