$3.2 Million Clean Water Push Aims to Help Thousands of McDowell and Mingo County Homes

For thousands of families tucked up the hollows of McDowell and Mingo counties, a glass of water from the kitchen tap has never been a sure thing. On Wednesday, Gov. Patrick Morrisey came to Welch with news aimed squarely at them: a $3.2 million initiative to get clean drinking water into homes that public water lines have never reached.

According to the governor, more than 5,000 homes across the two counties depend on private wells, springs or cisterns. The new program is designed to help as many of those homes as possible, and state officials expect it to benefit roughly 10,000 West Virginians through water testing, household filtration systems and other equipment meant to fix contamination and water-quality problems.

Why it matters

The need is real. Morrisey pointed to recent studies by Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey that found coliform bacteria in 65% to 90% of the wells and springs tested in the region. Other families fight water so heavy with iron that it stains sinks, ruins laundry and clogs plumbing, and some spend thousands of dollars a year buying bottled water just to drink and cook.

Who gets help first

The federal dollars behind the program will first go to about 1,000 households facing the most serious problems. Priority goes to homes with no running water, homes where testing has turned up bacteria or high nitrate levels, and families with infants or older adults who face greater health risks.

Those households will get their water tested through the state laboratory, a filtration system chosen for their particular water, replacement filters through September 2027 and follow-up testing. At an estimated $500 per household, that includes a countertop purification system, a full year of filters and, where heavy iron is a problem, settling tanks. Officials also plan periodic check-ins to make sure the systems keep working.

Bringing the help right to people's doors matters here. The governor noted that about 43% of households in the two counties include someone 65 or older, so the plan is to serve folks at home rather than asking them to travel to a distribution event.

When it starts

The state expects to post its funding announcement within the next week, with a final award expected in January. Water testing and filter installation are scheduled to begin in February.

Morrisey said the approach can deliver results faster than traditional water line projects, which often take years to plan, bid and build. For families in the coalfields who have waited a long time for something as basic as safe water, that speed could make all the difference.

Know someone in McDowell or Mingo County who hauls water or worries about their well? Pass this along so they're ready when the program opens up.