2024-01-30 05:03:45
photo by: Shelley Hanson
Paden City resident Patricia Wright expresses concern about leadership and communication in her city during a West Virginia Public Service Commission evidentiary hearing Monday.
PADEN CITY — Neither staff members from the West Virginia Public Service Commission nor officials from Paden City believe the city’s water department is a distressed or failing utility. But the PSC’s final determination in that matter won’t come for several weeks.
The PSC is expected to decide in a few weeks whether Paden City’s water department is distressed or failing after tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, entered the city water system last summer.
An evidentiary hearing on the matter was held Monday at city hall with two PSC commissioners listening to testimony from PSC staff and Paden City officials. Both sides testified that the water department isn’t failing.
However, PSC Chairwoman Charlotte Lane said the commission must still take into account not only the testimony, but comments from residents as well.
It was noted from both sides that more trained employees are needed for the water department alone as now there are only six city workers who cover all departments except for the sewer department. It was also noted that clerks in the water department should receive formal training from the PSC.
PSC spokesman Andrew Gallagher said after the hearing that it could take up to six weeks before a final decision is released.
Robert Cadle, a PSC utilities analyst who conducted a portion of the investigation, said he was charged with looking at the water department’s financial side.
“They are not financially distressed or failing,” he said.
Jim Weimer, a PSC engineer, also said after his investigation the city water department was not distressed or failing.
“Per my observation, I did not see that the utility was having management issues with specifically operations,” he said.
Weimer noted after talking with agencies overseeing the city water department with its PCE issues, they said they had not received any “push back.”
The PCE entered the water system this past summer after an electrical outage impacted the air stripper tower, which is the device that removes the chemical from the water. Before the air stripper was turned back on, a valve was opened to allow water to continue flowing into the tanks for fire protection. Unbeknownst to city workers, the valve malfunctioned, allowing tainted water to continue entering the system. Paden City Public Works Director Josh Billiter said that valve has since been removed and the pipe capped off.
Once the tainted water entered the system it took weeks for the city to flush it out. In the meantime, the state DHHR told residents not to drink or use the water. Bottled water was given to residents about twice a week during this time. After the treated water tested below allowable limits three times in a row, residents were told they could drink the water again.
The entire process was frustrating for many residents who believed they were not told about the PCE in a timely manner.
The city’s water source is an underground aquifer that became tainted with the chemical that was dumped at the former Band Box dry cleaner business in the city. It has been closed for years. Because of the contamination the city has been declared a Superfund site. The U.S. EPA continues to investigate the contamination and plans to create a plan for remediation in 2025.
Though a formal public comment hearing was held later Monday, Lane allowed some people to comment before testimony began. The room was full with some standing in the hallway.
Resident Patricia Wright submitted written testimony, but also talked about officials’ actions during the water issue.
“The biggest concern I had was that (Billiter and Mayor Steve Kastigar) were speaking publicly that they were using this water in their homes and did not see it as a problem,” she said.
“Now for people in leadership to express what they want privately is their business, but Josh was on TV and I watched that interview, and it was very upsetting to me. …
“I want to see more accountability with leadership, more willingness to listen. … I personally believe we need a woman leader in this position because it’s a good old boys club – where women are dismissed with our comments as though we’re being … histrionic, and I’m tired of it.”
Wright noted her father served on the city council years ago.
“I know what goes on in small town communities, and I don’t like the idea of facing a future where I think people are going to be contaminated or just left constantly under stress or anxiety about what’s going on,” Wright said.
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