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No water supply for four weeks
No response from water districtBY ROGER SMITHTHE MOUNTAIN CITIZEN TRACE RIDGE — For the second time in a year, residents of Trace Ridge are without water service. The primitive kiosk-and-token system they rely on for water was vandalized a month ago and left inoperable.
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Water board denies agreeing with rate
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Water Board members said they had never discussed a 24.31 percent rate increase, even though a document filed at the Kentucky Public Service Commission by the board’s attorney agreed with that amount. The document, filed Aug. 25, 2021 by water district attorney Brian Cumbo and signed by…
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Water rate goes up for Martin County
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT FRANKFORT — Martin County Water customers will pay about 10 percent more for their water. The Kentucky Public Service Commission entered an order late Tuesday raising the water rate. The minimum monthly bill, plus the $7.35 surcharges, increases from $44.67 to $48.77. The cost per 1,000 gallons over the minimum 2,000 gallons increases from…
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Water district debt increases
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Water District customers have paid a debt service surcharge in addition to their monthly water bills since March 2018 to reduce the district’s past-due vendor debts. Nearly four years later that debt has grown from $800,000 to over $1.1 million. The Kentucky Public Service Commission initially…
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Officials discuss water
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN FRANKFORT — Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman wants officials to consider regionalization of Martin County’s water system. Goodman put the idea on the radar during a quarterly meeting of a special Martin County Water District Workgroup earlier this month. The workgroup, led by Goodman, comprises representatives from…
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Water district leaks 353 million gallons
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Imagine 352.85-million gallons of water — about 114 times the capacity of the Curtis Crum Reservoir. Not raw river water but treated drinking water – leaking from the Martin County Water District distribution system. That is the amount of water the MCWD lost in the first 10 months…
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The decision to be ‘victims’ or ‘victors’ rests with us
At Thursday evening’s meeting with water customers held at Sheldon Clark High School with the Martin County Concerned Citizens’ watchdog group, one theme was clear: Do we continue to play the role of victim or do we rise above this state to become victors? The decision is ours. The gauntlet was thrown down. Do we…
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Clearing up the Attorney General’s report of our water to our grand jury
There you have it! A few local leaders and former leaders are pointing to the Attorney General’s report about allegations of wrongdoing for at least the last 20 years by the Martin County Water District Board as glowing proof that nothing was wrong … no criminal charges will be filed. The first of three findings…
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Former water board chairman touts recent survey as vindication
Water woes simply a fabrication or ‘fake news’ Former Martin County Water Board Chairman John Horn has cited a recent survey of water quality samples taken as vindication that what he had claimed many times during his short tenure — that our water met all EPA standards by the Kentucky Division of Water and that…
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Brockovich sending experts to help Martin County Water
Kerr calls it ’a major homerun’ BY GARY BALL CITIZEN EDITOR MARTIN COUNTY — Nationally known consumer advocate Erin Brockovich is getting involved “knee-deep” to make Martin County Water’s “terrible situation better. Brockovich announced yesterday on Facebook that she and her top water expert Bob Bowcock are getting together a team of experts to pitch…
Category: Water Crisis
