Behind a placard that said “Clean Clear Water,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey highlighted a priority of $145 million in state funds for water infrastructure projects, also aiming to unlock an additional $450 million in federal and private matching dollars.
The governor described a strategy of shifting funding decisions to focus on need, not political clout. That would mean giving top priority to systems with boil water orders, failing systems, public health concerns and serious financial distress.
“For too long, West Virginia families, many in Southern West Virginia, the water situation hasn’t been what we know it needs to be, right? It’s a problem,” Morrisey said.
“So recently, I had a chance as I was looking at all our different water projects and said, ‘Let’s do more. We have to be committed to doing more for the people of our state, because clean water is essential for everyday living.’”
The governor’s remarks in Beckley came shortly after a two-day tour focusing on water issues in southern West Virginia.
“We listened, we learned, and now we’re taking action. And so, every single community that I visited, we’re going to have some action that’s going to be associated with that,” Morrisey said.
Morrisey also described an initiative to establish a public dashboard that tracks water funding applications and project status.
“We can’t have projects disappearing into the bureaucratic black holes. Right? Can’t happen. Not going to happen anymore,” he said.
Governor Patrick Morrisey announces an additional $145 million in state funding for water and wastewater infrastructure over the coming year, putting West Virginia on track to surpass $1 billion in total projects while launching a new strategy to get projects moving faster and…
— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) August 19, 2026