BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LENORE, W.Va. — Flooding, a ruptured water main and limited treatment capacity combined to disrupt water service across much of Mingo County this week, placing most customers under a boil water advisory and forcing emergency rerouting efforts to maintain supply.

The trouble began around midnight Feb. 20 when rapidly rising river levels forced Mingo County Public Service District crews to move a diesel intake pump to prevent it from being submerged.

In a public update, the district said, “The river began to rise rapidly and we had to move the diesel pump back to keep from losing it in the water.” Officials added that the move “reduced our flow coming into the plant below what is needed to fully meet system demand.”

A widespread power outage compounded the issue. The district stated there was “a widespread power outage in parts of the county which affected our ability to pump water as needed further out in the distribution system.”

Customers reported low pressure and intermittent service interruptions throughout the day.

By evening, officials confirmed a more serious development: a 14-inch mainline between the Naugatuck Treatment Plant and Lenore had washed out and ruptured near a bridge demolition site. An equipment operator reportedly noticed water shooting across the creek, signaling the break.

The damaged line feeds the twin storage tanks behind the former Lenore High School, which serve as the system’s primary distribution tanks.

“We are currently unable to move treated water out of the treatment plant to those tanks and without those tanks we cannot pump water anywhere else in the system from the treatment plant,” the district explained.

District officials coordinated with the City of Williamson to reroute water where possible.

“We will not be able to provide full and constant service like this,” the district cautioned, “however, we will keep as many customers in service as much as possible.”

Heavy equipment was brought in to cut an access road to the damaged site and construct a temporary dike to divert water from the creek bank. The district emphasized that diverting the water “is critical for our men to be able to physically access and safely work on the broken pipeline.”

On the morning of Feb. 21, officials reported that creek levels had fallen enough to allow safe repair work. They said the rupture was confined to a short stretch of the 14-inch mainline.

“The actual repair is not expected take a long time,” though restoration of the system would, officials said.

By that evening, crews had reconnected the line: “Line is together and water is being pumped into the distribution system.”

Officials warned that recovery would take time.

“The system is very empty,” the district stated. “Areas that still have water may begin to experience pressure issues, or a loss of service in the next couple of days as we refill the distribution system.”

The district also acknowledged longstanding operational constraints.

“Under regular conditions we have to operate the treatment plant at almost 100% capacity just to meet the normal demand,” officials wrote. “We do not have extra capacity left to make up for sudden large needs in a rapid manner.”

The system’s linear design further slows recovery.

“Our distribution system is a linear design,” the district explained. “This means the tanks are in a line with one tank providing service for the next one and so on.” As a result, tanks must reach sufficient levels before water can move farther into extended areas.

With the exception of customers in Lick Creek, Delorme, Marrow Bone Creek, Chattaroy from Spano Street to Buffalo Mountain and those on Buffalo Mountain, all customers remain under a boil water advisory until further notice.

Emergency officials are coordinating potential deployment of a water tanker and a shower truck for affected residents.

The district reiterated that improvements are in progress.

“There is a project in the works to upgrade the water treatment plant’s capacity,” officials said, adding that expanded capacity “will help to alleviate a lot of the service interruption issues we currently have, and also to greatly shorten the amount of time it takes to recover from catastrophic events like this.”

As crews work to stabilize the system, the episode exposes the fragility of infrastructure operating near its limits. For years it has struggled to deliver what customers expect from a basic utility: clean, reliable water.

Repeated outages, low-pressure events, boil water advisories and complaints about discolored water have steadily eroded public confidence. When large portions of the county went without water during a significant outage in early 2025, frustration turned into formal regulatory scrutiny.

In January 2025, the West Virginia Public Service Commission opened a general investigation into the district to determine whether it was operating in a manner that ensured safe and adequate service. What regulators found painted a troubling picture.

State findings in November 2025 pointed to aging infrastructure, outdated or nonfunctional equipment, inadequate monitoring systems and limited staffing. The treatment plant, which draws from surface water, was operating near full capacity under normal conditions — leaving virtually no margin for emergencies, heavy demand or weather-related events. High levels of unaccounted-for water loss suggested system leakage and inefficiencies that further strained operations and revenue.

The PSC did not immediately declare the utility formally distressed, a designation that can trigger more drastic state intervention. Instead, regulators ordered a corrective action plan. The district was directed to address equipment deficiencies, improve operational oversight, strengthen staffing levels, modernize telemetry and monitoring systems and develop long-term financial and asset management strategies. The order required regular progress reporting to ensure accountability.

At the same time, financial strain has complicated the path forward. Like many rural water systems, the PSD relies heavily on ratepayer revenue to maintain infrastructure. Officials have argued that substantial upgrades — including increased treatment capacity — are necessary to stabilize service and shorten recovery times after major disruptions.

But when a proposed rate increase came before the Mingo County Commission in early 2025, the commissioners unanimously rejected it. Their vote reflected a community wary of paying more for a system that many believe has not consistently delivered reliable service.

Residents have voiced concerns about three persistent issues: reliability, water quality and communication. Customers have reported muddy or foul-smelling water during outages, pressure losses in extended service areas and confusion during prolonged service interruptions. Some have questioned whether the system, in its current state, can withstand the increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

State regulators continue to monitor its corrective actions. Customers continue to demand reliability. And the long-term solution, whether through capital investment, restructuring or stronger oversight, remains unresolved.