Tag: West Virginia American Water

State Health Officials, Water Company Say Reports of Formaldehyde Are 'Misleading', 'Unfounded'

Officials from the Bureau for Public Health and West Virginia American Water released separate statements regarding Dr. Scott Simonton’s testimony Wednesday to Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on State Water Resources, calling his remarks on the discovery of formaldehyde in the water of a Charleston restaurant “unfounded”, “misleading”, and “irresponsible.”

In a release from the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Commissioner and State Health Officer Dr. Letitia Tierney said experts who have been assisting the state through this response say that the only way possible for formaldehyde to come from MCHM is if it were combusted at 500°F. 
 
Dr. Tierney cited The World Health Organization (WHO) and says formaldehyde is the most frequent aldehyde found in nature and is naturally measurable in air and water.  Formaldehyde is created through the normal breakdown cycle of plants and animals. 

“Formaldehyde dissolves easily in water and does not last a long time in water,” said Dr. Tierney in the statement issued Wednesday afternoon.

“Additionally, formaldehyde is naturally produced in very small amounts in our bodies as a part of our normal, everyday metabolism and causes no harm,” she added.
 
The Bureau for Public Health says they are unaware of Dr. Simonton’s testing procedures and notes they are interested in finding out whether another issue is affecting Vandalia Grill.

In a separate statement, West Virginia American Water said the following:

“We believe it is misleading and irresponsible to voice opinions on potential health impacts to residents of this community without all of the facts. Procedures for water analysis are carefully prescribed, outlined and certified. West Virginia American Water will continue working with governmental health and environmental professionals and, in conjunction with these professionals, we and  public health agencies will make public any reliable, scientifically sound  information relating to risks to public health, if any. As a regulated water utility, West Virginia American Water adheres to industry best practices and is in compliance with all federal and state regulations and guidelines.”

Some Water Customers Complain of High Bills

  Some customers of West Virginia American Water are questioning why their bills went up even though they didn’t use their tap water for several days after a chemical spill.

Harry Machado of Winfield tells The Charleston Gazette that his latest bill was about 40 percent more than the previous one.

About 300,000 water customers in nine counties were told not to use their tap water after a Jan. 9 chemical spill at Freedom Industries went into the Elk River. After tests were conducted over several days, customers were told to flush out their lines and start using tap water again.

A water company spokeswoman says the flushing might account for much of the increase. A promised 1,000-gallon credit on water bills for the flushing hasn’t been applied yet.

 

Utility Union Worried About Water Company's Leaky Pipes

The head of the Utility Workers Union of America is raising concerns that West Virginia American Water Co.'s leaky pipes may have allowed contaminated…

The head of the Utility Workers Union of America is raising concerns that West Virginia American Water Co.’s leaky pipes may have allowed contaminated water from the Elk River chemical spill to seep into the ground.
 
     D. Michael Langford wrote to the state Public Service Commission on Thursday to point out West Virginia American’s high rate of “unaccounted for water.”
 
     According to West Virginia American’s most recent annual report on file with regulators, it could not account for more than 28 percent of the water it pumped in 2012.
 
   That number is far above the 15 percent that’s considered acceptable.
 
     The company says it isn’t testing groundwater following the Jan. 9 spill but that the water doesn’t pose a risk to the public, animals or vegetation.
 

Public Service Commission Wants Water Company to Extend Quality Reports

The Public Service Commission's Consumer Advocate Division wants the agency to continue requiring West Virginia American Water to submit quarterly reports…

The Public Service Commission’s Consumer Advocate Division wants the agency to continue requiring West Virginia American Water to submit quarterly reports on service quality.
 
A 2011 order issued by the PSC requires the company to submit the reports through the fourth quarter of 2013. The Consumer Advocate Division asked the PSC on Wednesday to continue the requirement until further notice.
 
The division’s motion cites a Jan. 9 chemical spill in Charleston that contaminated the water supply of 300,000 residents.
 
The 2011 order came in a case involving the water company’s staffing levels.

Poison Control Not Seeing Increase in Calls Since Flushing

The West Virginia Poison Center says calls have not increased since the ban on water use in nine counties affected by Thursday’s chemical leak was lifted in some of those areas.  The majority of residents and businesses affected by the chemical leak remain without clean tap water.

On Monday afternoon, West Virginia American Water began the process of lifting bans on water usage for thousands of West Virginians.

The ban was first issued last week when a chemical used in coal processing leaked from a Freedom Industries plant into the nearby Elk River.

Since then, the public has been instructed to call the poison control center with concerns.

Director Elizabeth Scharman says calls have been steady since the initial “do not use” order was first put into place.

As the ban is lifted in areas, Scharman says the center has received calls about an increased odor, but that was expected. She says residents should keep in mind that the flushing process will likely cause the smell to increase since the contaminated water has been sitting in the water lines for days.

The center is evaluating each call individually and suspects that some cases of skin irritation could be caused by constant hand sanitizer use. Scharman says excessive testing would be needed to confirm the source of the irritation.

Water Resources Commission Launches Investigation Into Chemical Spill

Senate Majority Leader John Unger (D-Berkeley) announced today that the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on State Water Resources, which he co-chairs, is launching an investigation into the recent chemical spill in Kanawha County that led to the ongoing contamination crisis.

“This whole series of events is unacceptable,” says Unger.  “While the response to this crisis has been commendable, the Legislature is determined to work to ensure that this never happens again.”

The chemical spill, originating from the property of Freedom Industries along the Elk River, caused a nine county State of Emergency and a Do Not Use water order for over 300,000 West Virginians.

Majority Leader Unger says the Commission will also be looking at the state agencies responsible for oversight of these types of facilities.

“We want to find out how long this chemical was leaking and who knew about it, and if no one knew, why not. There will definitely be a change to the way things have been done in past.”

The Commission will be watching the situation closely. Majority Leader Unger will introduce legislation that provides oversight of these types of storage facilities and will protect our water resources.

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