WYOMING COUNTY, W.Va. (WOAY) – In Wyoming County, where contaminated wells have left families without safe water for years, eight pallets of bottled water now arrive every two weeks, and they disappear fast.
In a typical American home, the EPA says a person uses around 82 gallons of water each day.
In Wyoming County, families are stretching three or four gallons, the World Health Organization’s emergency minimum, to bathe, cook, and drink.
Eight pallets come in. A few hours later, they are gone.
Delivered to the Itmann Food Bank and a home near Indian Creek, the shipments serve as a lifeline for families without reliable access to tap water.
“We can’t drink it. We can’t cook in it. So, yeah, we’ve been really having a hard time with it,” said Ricky Lane, sitting next to cases of bottled water.
The deliveries are the result of a partnership with Mountaineer Food Bank and efforts to make sure no family is left out.
“They’re the ones working to secure the donated water, but they’re still eating the cost of transportation because they have to transport it from Gassaway, so they’re not distributing any cost to Itman Food Bank,” says Tony Mullins, Director of Operations at Itmann Food Bank.
Mullins said the new shipments would not have happened without Richard Altizer, a longtime resident and community advocate who first raised concerns two years ago.
“I knew there were issues, but I thought it was individuals. Not so much a whole community,” Mullins said. “When I met up with Richard, the ball started rolling and I started trying to get more water.”
Altizer has spent years delivering water on his own, hauling pallets of clean water to families across Wyoming County, and investigating the source of the issue.
“I get messages from Coal Mountain, Lynco, Itmann, everybody’s water is going bad. Even the city water is going bad. There’s a reason why. Itmann getting water frees me up to look into it,” Altizer said.
For Ronald Lester and Ronda Perry, residents along Indian Creek, the help and support are more than just convenience. It is the difference between staying and leaving.
“It’s been great, without Richard bringing us water, I don’t know what we do,” Ronald Lester said.
“It is very important. Richard has helped us a lot,” Ronda Perry said.
For people like Tony Mullins, helping others is simply what makes them West Virginian.
“The good Lord says in the Bible that we’re supposed to help each other and help our neighbor. I’ve got good water, but they can’t do anything with their water, it’s so contaminated,” Mullins said.
On Monday, the attention turns to the courthouse.
A hearing could force state regulators to act, or it could stretch into another delay.
“Listen, West Virginia has some of the strongest people there ever was, and I think ever will be, because we’ve always had to fight an uphill battle. It’s always been about the resources, not the people,” Mullins said.
By Monday night, the wells will still be poisoned and the creeks will still run orange, but residents and families won’t give up the battle for clean water.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the next court hearing was scheduled for June 9. The correct date is July 9 at 1 p.m. in Wyoming County Circuit Court.
