HUNTINGTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Governor Patrick Morrisey on Tuesday launched a two-day Water Listening Tour across southern West Virginia, meeting with local residents, mayors, elected officials, public service districts and water system operators to discuss aging water infrastructure and identify priorities for future investment.
According to the governor’s office, the tour is designed to give state leaders an opportunity to hear firsthand about the challenges facing local water systems while gathering input on future infrastructure improvements.
“Reliable water is essential to improving quality of life, protecting public health, and creating the conditions for economic growth,” said Governor Morrisey. “We want to hear directly from the people who know these systems best. The people living with these challenges every day often have the best ideas for solving them.”
During the tour, Morrisey is expected to meet with community leaders and water system operators across southern West Virginia to discuss aging infrastructure, operational challenges, long-term planning and opportunities to improve water service for residents and businesses.
The governor’s office said West Virginia has invested more than $550 million in water and wastewater infrastructure over the past 18 months, including more than $174 million in state grants and loans that helped support projects statewide.
According to the administration, those investments are intended to improve access to reliable drinking water, strengthen communities and support economic development by helping attract employers and encourage housing growth.
Despite those investments, the governor’s office said many communities continue to rely on aging water systems that have exceeded their intended lifespan, with local officials and water operators working to maintain them despite limited resources and growing infrastructure needs.
“This tour is about listening first,” Governor Morrisey said. “We want to understand what is working, what is not, and where state government can make the greatest difference. Water infrastructure should never be the reason opportunity passes a community by.”
The Governor’s Water Listening Tour will continue over the next two days with additional stops across southern West Virginia as part of the administration’s ongoing effort to strengthen critical infrastructure and support long-term economic development throughout the Mountain State.
