Thousands Without Water After Nearly $894,000 in Unpaid Bills

Water service has been turned off for more than 1,000 homes as the Huntington Sanitary Board has sent thousands of shut-off requests to West Virginia American Water as it pursues customers more than 30 days late on paying their sewer bill.

The Herald-Dispatch reports city communications director Bryan Chambers says the water company has acted on 1,252 of the nearly 4,000 requests sent since April and that 1,055 were sent June 28.

According to the city, the board has more than 22,000 accounts and those that are two months past due total nearly $894,000.

Board director Wes Leek says members approved a measure stationing an off-duty police officer at its office as customers have threatened service representatives, in addition to spitting at and punching the bulletproof glass they sit behind.