Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced $7 million for water and sewer projects across the state, including nearly $500,000 for projects in St. Marys. (Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Governor’s Office)

CHARLESTON — Several streets and neighborhoods in St. Marys will benefit from water and sewer infrastructure funding, as will six other projects across West Virginia.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, officials with the City of St. Marys, and lawmakers were on hand for a press conference Friday afternoon at the St. Marys Marina.

Morrisey announced that the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council (IJDC) awarded St. Marys a $496,700 low-interest loan to replace waterlines on Morgan Avenue and Barron Street. The project will also help fund the construction of five new water hydrants and two valves in the Mound Manor neighborhood in the northern part of the city.

“I think these are important infrastructure upgrades that are going to improve public health, and they’re also going to support economic growth,” Morrisey said. “This is going to impact over 1,000 customers positively, which is great for a small county like Pleasants. So, I’m really thrilled about that.”

The loan, along with funding provided by the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, leverages more than $1.6 million for the water infrastructure project.

New water and sewer funding will replace waterlines along several streets and neighborhoods in St. Marys. (Photo by Steven Allen Adams)

“That’s a great thing,” Morrisey said. “When we can get together and partner with the cities and the counties and have the opportunity to leverage it from the federal government, that’s good for this region.”

“We really appreciate this,” said St. Marys Mayor Pat Boyles. “This is not just a technical improvement. It’s fundamental to the health, safety, and truly the daily lives of the people of St. Marys. This project will enhance our water quality, improve fire protection, and strengthen our reliability of our water system for years to come. It’s also an investment of our public health, our economic system, and the long-term resilience of our city.”

Morrisey and Boyles were joined Friday by lawmakers from the region, including Del. Trenton Barnhart, Del. Bill Bell, and state Sen. Mike Azinger.

“Today is a special day for our community,” said Barnhart, R-Pleasants. “We’re always talking about what we can do in making sure we match up well with our surrounding states…It all starts with water development, which, in my opinion, is the foundation for all economic development we could possibly pursue. This is going to be a great opportunity to provide great water resources for our communities, all of our businesses large and small, our schools, and all right down the line.”

“When I took office 18 days ago, the majority of the phone calls I received were we have to fix the water,” said Bell, R-Wetzel, who was appointed to succeed former delegate David Kelly. “I am excited and proud to stand with Governor Morrissey in addressing this massive concern.”

“This is great news, and this is the type of stuff our new governor is doing,” said Azinger, R-Wood. “He’s being aggressive about it. This, of course, is a systemic problem. There’s a lot of places in West Virginia that need this kind of assistance, and he’s making it happen.”

The St. Marys announcement was one of several announcements made by the IJDC and Morrisey on Friday. The Canaan Valley Public Service District in Tucker County received a $1 million grant towards construct a new wastewater treatment plant, replacing five smaller plants; the Jumping Branch-Nimitz Public Service District in Summers County received a $1 million grant for a waterline extension project; and the City of Thomas in Tucker County received a $500,000 grant to install a pre-treatment system at the Thomas Water Treatment Plant.

The IJDC also approved the following Critical Needs Grants: $17,810 for the Flatwoods Canoe Run Public Service District in Braxton County to replace 70 feet of sewer line because of a partial sewer collapse; $219,047 for the McDowell County Public Service District to address issues with the Bradshaw wastewater system; and $195,684 for the Mingo County Public Service District to address issues at the Naugatuck water treatment plant.

“When I came in, I vowed that we’re going to do this strategically,” Morrisey said. “We’re going to actually try to leverage the dollars that we have, either through the Water Development Authority, the Economic Development (Authority), the federal grants that we have, and partnerships with folks on a local level in order to really address this. Because you can’t succeed as a state if your infrastructure is offline.

“There’s nothing more important than having good, clean, beautiful water for everyone,” Morrisey continued. “I can proudly say as governor that I am working hard to prioritize our state’s water infrastructure. I know we’ve had a lot of challenges in this area over the years, but I’m going to keep working to solve as many problems as I can.”

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.