West Virginia State Senators John Unger, D-Berkeley, and Ron Stollings, D-Boone, met with residents of Prenter Road to discuss problems and issues with local drinking water.
Stollings told the audience of listeners that both he and Unger wanted to meet with local residents to get a first hand feel of what actually is wrong and what can be done to help.
Stollings and Boone County Commissioner Atholl Halstead told the group that the Prenter water project is top priority with Gov. Manchin.
Commissioner Halstead said that bids for Phase I of the project would begin in March with actual construction slated to begin in June or July.
Phase I of the water project, Halstead said, will bring a six or eight inch water pipe from Seth up to and include homes in Laurel Creek and Sandlick of Prenter Road.
Halstead also said that if money allowed or as more money becomes available that the water line would extended further up Prenter Road.
During the hour long meeting Unger and Stollings listened to concerns voiced by the residents.
Maria Lambert, who works with the clean drinking water project, said that as many families as possible, were provided with two barrels which are refilled every two weeks.
Lambert stated that more barrels, at least one hundred, were needed to provide all residents of Prenter Road with clean drinking water.
Some of the residents said a small problem with the barrels freezing had occurred.
Others discussed the difficulty of getting the water from the barrels into individual kitchens.
Concerns over health issues were discussed, with residents explaining to Stollings and Unger the high number of kidney problems,
gallbladder disease, skin irritations, growths and cancer.
One resident, Billy Arden, from Sandlick said that within a five hundred foot radius five people had been diagnosed with brain tumors. Three of which had died.
After the meeting concluded Unger and Stollings drove to Laurel Creek where they checked the water at the homes of VanDale Hill and Brenda Mullins.
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