BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – As part of its continued commitment to protecting drinking water sources and the environment surrounding its water treatment facilities, Beckley Water has adopted two-mile sections of highway near each of its two water treatment plants in Southern West Virginia.
Through a new partnership with West Virginia’s Adopt-A-Highway Program, Beckley Water has adopted a two-mile section along Pluto Road near its Glade Creek Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant in Shady Spring and a two-mile section along Sweeneysburg Road near its Sweeneysburg Water Treatment Plant.
The new initiative comes as Beckley Water joins communities and water providers across the country in recognizing Source Water Protection Week September 27 through October 3.
“Protecting public health is our highest priority, and that responsibility begins long before water reaches one of our treatment plants,” said Jonathan Stanley, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Beckley Water. “By adopting these roadways, we’re extending our commitment to source water protection into the areas surrounding the water sources our customers depend on every day.”
As part of that commitment, Beckley Water employees will take to both adopted highway sections during Source Water Protection Week to clear litter and debris from the roadways near the company’s water treatment facilities. The cleanup will mark the beginning of Beckley Water’s ongoing participation in the Adopt-A-Highway Program, with employees continuing to maintain the adopted sections throughout the year.
West Virginia’s Adopt-A-Highway Program is co-sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Highways and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP). The program gives businesses, organizations and community groups an opportunity to help reduce highway litter and improve the environment by maintaining designated sections of roadway.
For Beckley Water, the initiative is also an opportunity to help customers better understand the connection between the environment, source-water protection and the drinking water that ultimately reaches their homes and businesses.
Beckley Water relies on both surface water and groundwater sources to provide drinking water to more than 70,000 people across Southern West Virginia, treating and delivering approximately 11 million gallons of water each day. Protecting those sources is the first step in a process that includes treatment, continuous monitoring and testing, infrastructure maintenance and ultimately the delivery of safe, reliable drinking water throughout the region.
“Safe, reliable drinking water starts at the source,” Stanley said. “Source Water Protection Week is an opportunity to highlight how protecting our watersheds and groundwater, alongside continued investment in treatment, testing and infrastructure, helps protect water quality for generations to come.”
Throughout Source Water Protection Week, Beckley Water will also share educational information with customers about where their drinking water comes from, how those sources are protected and simple actions individuals can take to help protect water resources in their own communities.
The highway adoption and employee cleanup are part of Beckley Water’s broader commitment to protecting water quality, investing in the communities it serves and helping customers better understand the journey their drinking water takes from source to tap.
About Beckley Water
Beckley Water is Southern West Virginia’s largest water provider, serving more than 70,000 people and treating and delivering approximately 11 million gallons of water each day. Beckley Water is committed to protecting public health, providing safe and reliable drinking water, investing in infrastructure and supporting the communities it serves.
