MINGO COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Public Service Commission of West Virginia ordered a general investigation Thursday into the operations of a southern West Virginia water district that was unable to provide clean water to its customers in January.
The Commission ordered its staff to file a report documenting its investigation into the operations of the Mingo County Public Service District by July 14.
In January, approximately 600 customers of the district experienced a prolonged water outage, the staff petition filed on January 15 said. It cited a failure to properly maintain sediment basins at the water treatment plant for years is the root of the problem. It said the sediment basins made the water plant unable to adequately filter sediment from the water and meet turbidity standards.
Water service was terminated to customers because the system could not treat water taken from the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River since the system’s sediment tanks were full and could not handle the cleaning process.
PSC staff asked for an investigation to “determine whether the district is unable to adequately service its customers, has been effectively abandoned by its management, and whether its management is grossly and willfully inefficient and unresponsive to the needs of its customers for adequate water service.”
Staff was tasked also with recommending whether a receiver should be appointed to take over the system and whether proceedings should be initiated under the Distressed and Failing Utilities Improvement Act of 2020, which might allow the system to be acquired by another utility.
The district’s 2022 annual report said it had 4,289 customers.
More information on this case can be found on the PSC website: www.psc.state.wv.us. Click on “Case Information” and access Case No. 25-0027-LRR-PWD-GI.
