MARTIN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky county plagued with frequent shutoffs and boil water notices met with state officials to work on plans to fix their $66 million issues.
In 2020, private company Alliance Water took over the water district's operations. Division manager Craig Miller told the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet's Martin County Water District Workgroup (MCWDW) that a lot has changed since then.
Miller said water loss hit a record low and the quickest way to fix the leaks in the dated system is through line replacement. Martin County Water District's water loss was over 30% for more than 50 years.
Improved but not perfect. Miller announced the water district board approved a 5-year plan for projects to work toward that. However, some of those projects are waiting on funding.
"We hear all the time about how well Martin County is getting a lot of help, not from Kentucky," said Nina McCoy, Chair of the Martin County Concerned Citizens group. McCoy is also a member of the water board.
Her stance is that the state hasn't done enough to oversee or fund improvements in the county.
Most of the funding awarded for projects has been federal funding and grants.
In a statement, Governor Andy Beshear's office said "In the past, we've allocated over $1 million from the Cleaner Water Program to improve water and sewer services in Martin County. Those projects require local consensus."
The Cleaner Water Program uses federal funding.
In March of 2022 Governor Beshear committed $411,148 to the Martin County Water District through the Better Kentucky Plan's [governor.ky.gov] Cleaner Water Program to replace the roof over its chemical storage area, build a water treatment plant backup generator and replace over 100 water meters.
Judge Executive Lon Lafferty says the state has contributed about $780,000 for sewage treatment.
"It's not enough money. There is money coming in and for the last six years we have been to every meeting monthly meeting about how this money is being spent," said McCoy.
Lafferty says he has asked the state for help to come up with the money they need.
"The proposal is with the Governor, and we are waiting to hear . But we aren't waiting for it. We are working with our legislators with the new state budget and also to make sure we have a plan and request for our share of the money left by President Obama for coal impacted communities .
We won't give up this fight to provide safe drinking water and adequate sewage to the citizens of Martin County. We do not live in Eastern Kentucky but rather eastern Kentucky and have been a vital part of our state since we became a state, and we deserve the same basic infrastructure as the rest of the state. I won't hush up until we do," said Lafferty.
The attendees at Friday's meeting included EEC, Martin County Water District, Alliance Water Resources, Kentucky Rural Water Associates, University of Kentucky, Big Sandy Area Development District, Martin County Concerned Citizens, and several engineering companies and law firms.
Logan Fogle, Chief Information Officer in the Department for local Government said this about the meetings:
"Meetings with partners have achieved several significant things: technical assistance to the MCWD that has resulted in fewer water leaks and more reliable water, increased revenue and identification of available funding sources – all which has meant better water service in Martin County."
Others living there feel like the meeting has gone on for years.
"It's been such a long time," said Bruce Young who was a kid when President Lyndon B. Johnson visited the town. "I don't know why they ain't done more for this county, the state."
For more on funding to the area, visit: How money is impacting access to reliable clean water in Kentucky.
