FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) -With Christmas just around the corner, Santa Claus isn’t the only one planning to put smiles on people’s faces.
After years of dirty, undrinkable water, Page-Kincaid residents finally heard some good news.
“We really appreciate the community, the citizens that came out and stood on the side of the road holding the signs,” resident Tammy Skidmore told a WOAY reporter last month. “It was incredible. It was incredible. And just to see what a few people can do in a situation like this is just amazing if you don’t give up.”
Since September, American Water has worked to officially take over service for the Page-Kincaid area. That includes flushing water lines and replacing systems.
“Over the last several weeks and several months, we’ve been working to flush the systems, replace and repair watermain, replace and repair pressure reducing valves and booster stations,” said external affairs manager Megan Hannah. “One of the big things that we’ve seen is just the quality of water and how that has changed.”
On Wednesday, the company announced that the Page-Kincaid PSD is officially offline, so residents in the first two phases are already getting clear water. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, the work is far from over.
“Customers that are farther away from the Laurel Creek area will still see remnants of Page-Kincaid water in their system,” said Hannah. “Our contractors will be out in the next several days into next week flushing those lines to clear out the remainder of that Page-Kincaid PSD water.”
As American Water makes the much needed updates, residents in phases three through six should see clear water in time for Christmas.
“The customers in that area have really been in need of quality water for a long time, so it’s a really great thing for us to finally see that clear, clean water flowing out of the pipes,” said Hannah. “It’s just a real testament to the diligence of our team and the diligence of the public service district employees that have helped us along the way.”
Residents will likely pay an average of $53.64 each month under American Water. Although its slightly higher than the rate residents are used to, residents will no longer have to rely on bottled water for cooking and drinking.
