PRINCETON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey wrapped up his two‑day Water Listening Tour on Wednesday after meeting with residents, water operators, local officials, business leaders, and community stakeholders across southern West Virginia. The tour, which included stops in Huntington, Wayne, Fort Gay, Crum, Williamson, Oceana, Welch, Gary, War, and Princeton, focused on the challenges facing aging water systems and the needs of smaller communities.
“Every West Virginian deserves clean, reliable water, no matter where they live,” Morrisey said. “People are frustrated, and I understand why. We’re taking what we learned back to Charleston and using it to build a stronger water bill for the next legislative session.”
Since taking office, the Morrisey administration has helped leverage more than $550 million in water and wastewater investments statewide — including $174 million in direct state grants and loans. During Wednesday’s stop in Gary, the governor announced a $1.4 million award for water infrastructure improvements.
Throughout the tour, operators and local leaders described issues ranging from outdated systems to severe water loss. In Wayne County, officials reported pumping nearly one million gallons of water each day — but losing roughly 700,000 gallons before it reaches customers.
“That’s exactly why we took this tour,” Morrisey said. “You can read reports all day long, but nothing compares to hearing directly from the people who operate these systems and the families who depend on them. Those conversations gave us a clearer picture of the challenges communities are facing and will help us build a stronger water bill for next session.”
The administration says it will use the feedback gathered over the past two days to continue working with local officials, public service districts, and water operators to address West Virginia’s long‑standing water infrastructure challenges.
