“We’ve got a lot of work to do and we’re getting ready to do it,” Governor Joe Manchin told CAWV members and legislators Thursday. The governor was the keynote speaker at a March 12 legislative reception sponsored by the Contractors Association of West Virginia and WV American Water Company. Nearly 100 legislators, governmental officials and CAWV members attended the function held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston.
“We’ve got almost $300 million in water and sewer projects that are backlogged,” the governor stated. “If these jobs are ready, we will put them out to bid. I want your contractors to go to work building these projects, which are vital to West Virginia’s quality of life and future economic development.” The governor said the stimulus funds will give West Virginia the chance to better transition the state for future economic development. He said that West Virginia is beginning to feel the impact of the national recession, but investing in infrastructure will help the state rebound more quickly.
Governor Manchin outlined the federal stimulus dollars that will be available for water and sewer construction. “We have established a link on my homepage at www.wvgov.org. All the Recovery Act funding will be on the website for everyone to see. The site will show what money is available for programs and how the money is being spent.” The governor noted that the website will provide complete transparency in the spending of the Recovery Act funds.
Attendees also viewed an overview of the 90-minute documentary Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure, and joined WV Water Development Authority Executive Director Chris Jarrett, WVDEP Water and Waste Management Division Director Mike Johnson, Steptoe & Johnson Attorney John Stump and WV American Water Executive Director Wayne Morgan for a lively discussion. Panelists explored the value and cost of water and wastewater services, the unique requirements presented by West Virginia’s terrain, and the amount of unserved state residents.
“Water and sewer systems cost a lot of money to operate – especially considering the costs of everything else are going up, such as the electricity that is used to treat the water and the fuel costs associated with hauling materials – yet treated water only costs about a penny per gallon,” Morgan explained. “Nationwide, only about one to two percent of household income is spent on tap water, making it one of our lower utility bills.”
Jarrett and Johnson discussed the funding mechanisms in place for water infrastructure and told attendees about the vast the gap that exists between what is needed and the amount of money available. Panelists also discussed the needs in our state for adequate water and sewer services and the cost to provide them to everyone. They then explored the impact the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will have on utility construction in the state.
For more information on how your company or AGC Chapter can use Liquid Assets to raise awareness about water infrastructure visit www.agc.org/liquidassets.
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