BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty is asking U.S. Representative Harold Rogers (R-KY-05) for a $10 million earmark in the 2025 federal budget to rid the county of asbestos concrete water lines.
Asbestos lines in the Martin County Water District were installed with the original water system in Inez more than 60 years ago. With every drop of water flowing through those lines first in the distribution system, Lafferty, who is also a medical doctor, likened them to the human cardiovascular system.
“It doesn’t do any good to fix the arteries of the arm until you fix the main arteries going out of your heart,” he said. “It doesn’t do any good to fix the arteries in your leg until you fix the main artery going down through your abdomen. By the same token, the lines coming from the water plant in Inez are the oldest in the system and are made of concrete asbestos.”
The judge said he was not implying that there had ever been asbestos in the water. “But there is no such thing as a safe level of asbestos. If you read about asbestos lines, you see they are durable and last a long time if they are not disturbed.”
The deteriorating condition of the asbestos water lines not only poses potential health risks but also exacerbates the water district’s significant water loss and inefficiency. According to MCWD management, the system is losing 300 gallons per minute in Inez where these lines are located.
“That’s a tremendous amount of water, and unfortunately, we’re paying for that,” remarked Lafferty. “Until we get those lines in Inez fixed, we’re not going to make a difference in our water system, so this proposal is for that purpose. We’re hopeful that the budget will pass soon and that the last grant we proposed for Coldwater and Route 40 in the range of $4 million to $5 million will be included. This new proposal is for the next cycle.”
He continued, “If we can get this done, then we can really start to make a difference in our system as far as efficiency, quality and price. The rates are all about the amount of water that they produce. It isn’t like they’re producing all that water and we’re not paying for it. We are paying for it; that’s how rates are set—by the amount of water that they’re producing.”
MCWD district averaged 68% water loss in 2023. In February 2024, water loss was 74.86%.
“It’s going straight into the ground and a big chunk of it is right there in Inez,” stated the judge.
“For me, the water is the top priority. I’ve had conversations with the governor, Congressman Rogers, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Big Sandy Area Development District, Senator [Phillip] Wheeler, Representative Bobby McCool, and everyone I can talk to about it. It’s common sense to fix the initial lines first and that will help those peripheral lines.”
Lafferty emphasized that this proposal does not detract from any of the water district’s current grants or projects.
“We’re working toward additional proposals,” he noted.
“We are worthy of benefiting from the monies that President Obama left, and of course, the state Legislature has now passed House Bill 9 that helps us with the match. Those funds that are available from the federal government require a 20% match. It wouldn’t do us any good to get a $20 million federal grant if we can’t come up with 20% of that.”
Lafferty mentioned that Gov. Andy Beshear had included $12 million in his proposed state budget, which legislators did not support.
“I had asked him for $15 million,” said the judge. “I’m going to be pushing every bit that I can and I’m encouraging everyone to contact every official they can contact. Let them know that Martin County needs this money for our water and that we have paid our fair share for the last 100 years. Certainly for the last 50 years we have put forth billions and billions of dollars, and that includes taxes, through our coal, oil and natural gas. We are deserving of this.”
The judge vowed that the water system would remain his “chief priority” until his last day in office.
“Without water, nothing else works.”