CHARLESTON – The Public Service Commission of West Virginia ordered Weirton Area Water Board on Wednesday to implement action plans and other proposals the board submitted on October 22 to address water problems in the Northern Panhandle city.
The city was told by the Commission to submit action plans on how to replace cast iron and galvanized pipe in the water system over the next five years; detailing plans to define a leak detection and repair program; detailing plans to achieve a water loss percentage of 15 percent or less, as required by the Commission’s rules; plans to resolve violations of Bureau of Public Health standards; submit a report regarding a possible alternative water supply, including the interconnect with the Pennsylvania Water Co., to provide additional backup during major outages or crises; have in place a process to provide alerts to customers via text message and email; and provide for all new customers and existing customers at least once a year, a list of the many modes of access to information during major outages or crises, including a telephone number customers can contact to answer questions during a crisis.
On February 24, the Commission, after receiving a complaint from House of Delegates Majority Leader Patrick McGeehan, R-Hancock, initiated proceedings to examine the cause of a water main break and storage issues involving the city’s water distribution system. The Commission on July 25, issued an order that required the board to address seven points raised by the probe.
The water board filed reports with the Commission on October 22 that included action plans, reports, and customer communications material that addressed the seven points.
The Commission also directed the city to submit quarterly progress reports starting on January 15, 2026. Each report must “identify actions completed since the prior report, actions currently underway, anticipated next steps, and any obstacles or delays affecting implementation.”
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. 25-0262-W-P.
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