Published: June 15, 2009 08:57 pm      

Fed funds to quench community's thirst for public water

BRADSHAW — For weeks they prayed. Now, federal stimulus money is answering their prayers — at least in part.

For almost eight years, residents of Bradshaw Mountain in McDowell County have been hauling water with others using cisterns and wells that would go dry during drought periods. All the while, the community worked tirelessly with local, state and federal officials to bring a water system into the small, rural community.

“We’ve had extended sessions of prayer to just pray that the money would come through,” Pastor Bob Blevins of the Bradshaw Mountain Community Church, said. “So the people in charge would see the need and see that it was a health matter.”

An informal survey conducted by the community found that 590 of the 600 homes on Bradshaw Mountain would sign up for county water.

“That was a clear indication of the need,” Blevins said. “We are certainly excited about it. We’ve tried to stay up with the people in the know, and the powers to be. We’ve tried to stay up with them. And we were actually in a meeting last Tuesday evening at the Coalwood office where they made this announcement that seemed to firm up what we were waiting on. We are certainly grateful.”

The McDowell County Public Service District signed a letter of condition last week with Rural Utilities Services to complete phases three and four of the Jolo-Paynesville Water Extension Project, which will provide public drinking water to the Bradshaw Mountain area. The two additional phases of the project will be partially funded through federal stimulus dollars.

Construction on phase two of the project will be completed next month, PSD Director Mavis Brewster said. Phase two takes in the new River View High School and the new elementary school at Bradshaw, and brings public drinking water to the bottom of Bradshaw Mountain.

“Phase two is almost completed,” Brewster said. “We should have that completed by the 9th of July. With phases three and four, last week we signed the letter of condition with Rural Utilities Service. The project is funded with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection money, the Abandoned Mine Land money and with Rural Utilities. A portion of it is federal stimulus funding for phases three and four through Rural Utilities. It will take it all the way to the top of the mountain at the Virginia line.”

Brewster said the need in the community — particularly Bradshaw Mountain — is urgent.

“They use cisterns,” Brewster said. “They also have to pay to have water hauled. I think they are paying like $30 for a thousand gallons, and it’s not drinkable water. The residents of the mountain have been attending our board meetings. We have our monthly board meeting, and they have been attending all of our board meetings, writing all of the political figures and pushing the project. I think all of their hard work has paid off.”

Brewster said the PSD is planning a community celebration in July to mark the completion of phase two, and the award of funding for phases three and four.

Phases three and four of the project will cover portions of Bradshaw Mountain, Rock Ridge, Jackson Flats, Paynesville, State Line Ridge and the Estep Ridge areas. The remaining two phases of the project would serve another 480 customers.

Brewster said all four phases of the project will serve an estimated 845 customers in McDowell County.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com