WELCH, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Gov. Patrick Morrisey has announced a $3.2 million water filtration initiative aimed at providing cleaner, more dependable drinking water to approximately 5,000 households in McDowell and Mingo counties.
The initiative will focus on households that rely on private wells, springs or cisterns rather than municipal water systems. State officials estimate the program will benefit more than 10,000 West Virginians.
“Clean, dependable drinking water is a basic necessity, and our families have gone without practical solutions for far too long,” said Governor Morrisey. “This initiative gets filtration systems directly into homes, helping provide safer drinking water for more than 10,000 West Virginians.”
The program comes as groundwater contamination continues to be a concern in southern West Virginia.
According to the governor’s office, recent studies conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey found coliform bacteria in 65% to 90% of wells and springs tested in the region.
Residents also face problems with high iron levels in their water, which can stain plumbing fixtures, damage appliances and lead to significant expenses for bottled water.
The initiative will combine $1.2 million in federal funding with $2 million in state funding to provide water filtration equipment and related services to households outside municipal water service areas.
The $1.2 million in federal funding will come through the Rural Health Transformation Program and will target 1,000 high-priority households. These include homes without running water, households with elevated bacteria or nitrate levels, and residences with infants or senior citizens.
Those households will receive state laboratory water testing, customized filtration systems, well disinfection services, replacement filters through September 2027 and follow-up testing to verify water quality.
An additional $2 million from the Governor’s Civil Contingent Fund will provide countertop water purification systems to 4,000 additional households.
Those systems will be designed to remove bacteria, with each participating household receiving a one-year supply of replacement filters. Homes with high iron levels will also receive settling tanks.
Follow-up check-ins will be conducted one month and six months after installation.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Department of Environmental Protection will oversee a competitive funding process to select an organization responsible for managing water testing and distributing the filtration equipment.
Residents will be able to apply through a single sign-up process, although the state and federal portions of the program will be accounted for separately.
Local organizations, including the McDowell County Commission on Aging, food banks, churches and volunteer fire departments, will assist with outreach and distribution.
Program representatives will also coordinate home deliveries for residents unable to attend community distribution events.
The competitive funding announcement is expected to open this week, with a final award anticipated in January.
Water testing and distribution of filtration systems are expected to begin in February 2027.
Morrisey said the program is intended to provide more immediate assistance while the state continues working on long-term water infrastructure improvements.
“We’ve committed significant resources to improving water infrastructure across West Virginia, but extending public water lines to every rural home takes time,” said Governor Morrisey.
“We can’t tell families who need safe drinking water today that they simply have to wait. This initiative provides a practical solution while we continue making those longer-term investments.”
