Water project for Pratt just a vote away

The town of Pratt was offered a deal they just can’t refuse. West Virginia American Water Company wants to take over their aging water system.

Kanawha County Commissioner Dave Hardy, a Pratt native, made the announcement Monday at the Kanawha County Courthouse along with Pratt Mayor Gary Fields and WVAWC President Jeff McIntyre.

 “The water plant at Pratt, which has become in poor repair and obsolete, will be taken off line and the town of Pratt, Hansford and Paint Creek will be getting its water from the same place that people in Charleston get their water,” according to Hardy.

For the past few months, WVAWc has been running Pratt’s water system after years of problems including low pressure, raw sewage running into the Kanawha River and questions about the drinking water quality.

Hardy says West Virginia American and McIntyre have stepped up to give residents in the Upper Kanawha Valley a healthy and safe water system.

“You need to be thanked publicly for stepping up to the plate and helping the County Commission and helping the town of Pratt because we had a tough situation with the water system,” Hardy said;

West Virginia American Water plans to buy Pratt’s system for $437,000. The company will construct a new treatment facility at a cost of $1.8 million and spend an additional $400,000 to update the main water line through town as well as fire hydrants and increase the water pressure to a standard level.

The county commission will pitch in $90,000-$180,000 to pay off the debt on the current Pratt system using the coal severance fund.

The project must first be approved by the voters of Pratt and Hardy is expecting help.

“Mayor we’re looking to you and we’re looking to our council members and residents of Pratt. The town needs to hold a special election to approve this referendum,” stressed Hardy. “And I think you’ll be really encouraged to hear mayor, that you’re water rates might actually go down.”

Mayor Fields says he is extremely grateful.

“We’ve been working on this for a few years now and it looks like it’s going to come together. Without West Virginia Water and the county commission, I don’t know where Pratt would be today,” said Fields.

If the town votes yes on the arrangement, then the state Public Service Commission will have to sign off on it.

WVAWC hopes to break ground in May and finish up the project by December.