The Inter-Mountain photo by Brad Johnson Midland Public Service District Director Ron Vance displays a waterline extension project map to County Commissioners Mark Scott, left, and Chris See. Not shown is Commissioner David Kesling.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Brad Johnson
Midland Public Service District Director Ron Vance displays a waterline extension project map to County Commissioners Mark Scott, left, and Chris See. Not shown is Commissioner David Kesling.

ELKINS — The Randolph County Commission is throwing its financial support behind a waterline extension project.

Ron Vance, director of the Midland Public Service District, came before the commissioners Thursday to update them on the project and to request a commitment letter.

“The waterline extension project that we are working on currently, and have been for about 15 years, was initiated by a petition by potential customers,” Vance said, while showing commissioners a map of the existing water system and where the new project would take place.

“Where we’re looking at with this is out toward Corridor H, going down toward Shavers Fork, down toward the Cheat River bridge, and then we would go on around Kelly Mountain, around Evans Road and around the Chenoweth Creek Road,” Vance said. “Then we come back to where we have our existing lines. There’s also a leg of this that will go out the Poe Run Road and go out and have a reservoir out there.

“We’re looking at approximately 140 customers and it’s about a $5 million project,” he added.

Vance asked the commissioners to provide a “local commitment” to help fund the extension project.

“We applied for additional grant monies from (USDA) Rural Utilities Service, we’ve already submitted that for $318,000,” he said. “One of the things that they had mentioned was they were looking for a local commitment, so to speak.”

The local funding match the USDA RUS requested was $24,383.

“There will be 140 customers who will be directly benefited by having clean water to drink, but that benefit also goes to the other 1,500 customers that we currently have because they also will be sharing in any rate increase from that project,” Vance said.

Commissioners approved signing a commitment letter to send to the Midland PSD agreeing to provide $24,383 in matching funds. Commission President Mark Scott said $17,000 of the money will come from the Coal Reallocation Fund, and $7,383 will come from the Coal Severance Fund.

The next county commission meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. May 16 at the James Cain Courthouse Annex.