A trip to the state capitol was fruitful for Boone County residents as Gov. Joe Manchin presented them with a Small Cities Block grant in the amount of $1.5 million.

Boone County Commissioners and area residents met with Gov. Manchin on Jan. 14 at the capitol, where he presented them with a letter assuring them money is ready to begin digging for Prenter water service.

The letter stated, “your request for a small cities block grant has been approved in the amount of $1,500,000. These funds will enable you to extend water service to the Prenter Road/Route 5 areas of Boone County.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides Small Cities Block Grant funds to the state.

Although this Small Cities Block Grant is in the amount of $1.5 million, it must be paired with additional funds of $500,000 already committed by the county commission and $300,000 committed by the Boone County Public Service District to finish the job.

According to Gore, the total project from start to finish is estimated to be $2,237,500.

Gore said the commissioners, as well as Boone PSD officials believe it would be advisable to have an engineering plan in hand when the funds were finally released for Prenter.

For area residents who might think a $1.5 million check was cut on Jan. 14, that wasn’t the case. The letter from Gov. Manchin stated he would immediately commit $200,000 from his fiscal year 2008 allocation, yet the remaining $1,300,000 necessary to complete the project “will be evaluated and committed to in a future year allocation based upon your ability to proceed forward with this project.”

The question remains uncertain how long it will be before the project is completed and residents will begin to see improved water conditions in their community.

The governor urged project managers to expedite water service and “reach its completion as quickly as possible with this funding strategy in mind.”

Gore said a small, but vocal numbers of people are responsible for the expedited funding for Prenter water service.

A group of concerned citizens in the Prenter area has been reporting the need for potable water for several years, with limited success.

Homeowners had subsided with either water from wells, buying jugs of bottled water or from a water service based in the small community of Prenter.

The residents who’ve complained about water have reported an alarming amount of sickness in many people who are forced to use the water and believe an increase in birth defects and cancer in the Prenter area can be traced to water quality.

In 2008, attempts to obtain funds to extend water from the Prenter Bridge area began to pick up steam. County Commissioners asked members of the West Virginia Intergovernmental Council and the Boone County Public Service District to seek public funding as quickly as possible.

Boone county native Jennifer Massey, who was in attendance during the presentation of the small cities block grant said she was extremely happy to see funds being spent to help her community and officials finally addressing the water problem.

“It also could not have come to pass without the Regional Intergovernmental Council, with Terry Martin, Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, Senator Ron Stollings, Congressman Nick Rahall, Gov. Manchin and House of Delegates member Larry Barker,” Gore said.

Gore also credited Boone PSD members Mary Roy, Toby Waller, Jerry Sexton, Grady Haner and Brodus Lorrison. In addition, Gore cited the help of Commissioners Athol Halstead, Mickey Brown and Eddie Hendricks, along with recently retired commissioner Gordon Eversole.

Maria Lambert, a Prenter area resident wrote, “It's a scary thing to think that you have consumed something that could make you sick. The people in our state and county agencies have responded accordingly to the long-term solution. We are truly grateful.



“I would like very much to give, on behalf of our communities much appreciation to any and all of you that have encouraged the water line extension project on Route 5 Prenter Road and helped it to become a reality.”