Spring in West Virginia is truly “almost heaven.” Life comes back to our forests, wildflowers scatter across the mountains, and spring rains send cold water rushing through our mountain streams and rivers.

Unfortunately, many West Virginians don’t have reliable access to that clean, cold water when they turn on their taps. Indeed, some West Virginians’ water is so filthy that it is not fit for drinking. In some cases, the water even causes blistering when used for bathing.

This is completely unacceptable and should not be happening in the United States of America. That is why my top priority in Congress is fighting to secure clean water for every Mountaineer.

During my first year in Congress, I secured more than $4.75 million in new Community Funding Projects that will provide clean and reliable water across West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.

In Ritchie County, for example, I secured $1 million to extend public waterlines along Bonds Creek. In 2024, families near Pennsboro discovered that their well water was contaminated with arsenic and lead. It’s unconscionable that we have American households with arsenic pouring into their taps. Now, with this new project, more than 70 households will finally gain access to clean, safe drinking water when the Bonds Creek project is complete.

In Tucker County, I secured $1.5 million to construct a new sewage treatment plant. The current plant, which is just a short drive from beautiful Blackwater Falls — one of West Virginia’s most iconic natural wonders — is already operating at capacity. To avoid contaminating the watershed, workers haul truckloads of toxic sludge to a treatment facility every single day, costing the local PSD hundreds of thousands of dollars. Building a new plant will not only protect our state’s natural beauty, it will reduce costs, and allow funds to be redirected toward providing more reliable water service to Tucker County residents.

I also successfully fought to restore full funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which benefits residents all across the Mountain State. Over the years, ARC has financed crucial water and sewer projects. In the little town of Iaeger in McDowell County, for instance, a 2024 grant from ARC furthered the construction of a sanitary sewer collection system. Without the sanitary sewer project, 90% of community residents “straight-pipe” their sewage into the Tug Fork River, damaging the river itself and threatening the groundwater supply. Through the restoration of ARC funding, I’ve protected a reliable, ongoing funding stream for necessary projects like this.

One reason I was able to secure this funding is because I am the only freshman member of the House Appropriations Committee. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for determining how the government spends Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. Serving on that committee gives me a unique ability to advocate for West Virginia and secure new funding for water projects in our state.

As we begin the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process, I am fighting for additional funding to ensure every West Virginian has access to clean water. That’s why I am pushing to increase ARC funding by 10%, and I have already requested $22.7 million for Community Project Funding for water projects across the district.

For example, I have requested almost $2 million to build a new safe, alternative water source in Hardy County. Right now, the town of Baker’s main water source is currently vulnerable to toxic algae blooms that make it dangerous to consume.

In Buckhannon, Upshur County, more than 24,000 people rely on a plant that has major deficiencies, from flood risk and inadequate sludge disposal to dangerous 1-ton chlorine cylinders. I have requested $3 million to construct a new facility and lay new distribution lines throughout the county.

Of course, some of the worst water problems in our state are in the coal fields that helped build West Virginia. That’s why I worked with Congresswoman Carol Miller to secure an amendment last year to force the EPA to make clear what resources are available to West Virginians in, specifically, Wyoming and McDowell counties.

This year, I’m also proud to announce that Congresswoman Miller and I are pushing for more than $250 million in grant funding to address drinking water and wastewater infrastructure problems across the state, but especially in Boone, Fayette, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties. Securing funding of this magnitude will be a major uphill battle and it will likely take more than one cycle to secure it, but it’s a fight worth having.

No American should ever have to wonder whether their kids will have water to drink or bathe in. From my seat on the Appropriations Committee, I will continue fighting so that every West Virginian can turn on their tap and find fresh, clean water.

***

Congressman Riley M. Moore represents West Virginia’s Second Congressional District. He is the only freshman member of Congress on the Appropriations Committee.