Public Service Commission Schedules Hearings in Paden City
Shelley Hanson Trending
PADEN CITY - The Public Service Commission of West Virginia is coming to Paden City to hear evidence in the case involving contamination of the city's water system and how officials handled the matter.
The PSC has scheduled public comment and evidentiary hearings to determine whether the city and Paden City Municipal Water Works are running "a distressed or failing utility."
The evidentiary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Jan. 11 at the Paden City Municipal Building, 208 W. Main St., Paden City. The commission will host a public comment hearing later that same day at 5:30 p.m.
The PSC explained the difference between the two hearings as follows:
During the evidentiary hearing, all sides involved will present their arguments before the commission. This will be similar to a court hearing.
At the public comment hearing, members of the community will be permitted to voice their thoughts and opinions on Paden City's water woes and the city's handling of the situation.
After this, PSC members will consider all information gathered and rule at a later date.
Paden City officials, when contacted Wednesday, said they could not comment on the matter as it proceeds through legal channels.
Paden City in recent years has experienced high levels of PCE - also known as tetrachloroethylene - in its water system. This prompted the city to install an air stripper to remove the chemical from the water before it enters the system of pipes that feeds people's homes and businesses.
The solution worked, but there is an old adage that says "water and electricity don't mix."
An electrical outage in August caused the air stripper to stop working and allowed tainted water to enter the Paden City water system. The underground aquifer that provides the city's water is now contaminated.
Tetrachloroethylene is a dry cleaning chemical, and its source in Paden City has been traced to the former Band Box dry cleaner location.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials have determined the water in the city is presently safe to drink.
The commission opened proceedings on Nov. 3 into complaints about the city's water and sewer systems. In its hearing order, the commission named New Martinsville, Sistersville and Tyler County Public Service District as utilities that could assume operation or ownership of the utility, if necessary.
The preliminary investigation revealed that for years residents have dealt with contaminated water from tetrachloroethylene.
The city filed a response Nov. 20 that it is a not "a distressed utility" and is not in "continual violation" of statutory or regulatory standards. It also said it took proper steps to remove PCE from its distribution system.
The municipal utility provides service to 1,262 sewer customers, and Paden City Municipal Water Works provides water service to 1,204 customers. Both systems serve customers in Wetzel and Tyler counties.