After spill, water ban lifted for part of W.Va.

JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press Published:


It could still be several days before everyone is cleared to use the water again, but officials were grateful to give the green light to about 6,000 to 10,000 customers. Gov. Earl Tomblin made the announcement at a news conference, five days after restaurants and schools had to close because they didn't have any water, and people were told to use it only to flush their toilets.



Customers were asked to flush out their systems before using the water again, and the water company credited accounts with 1,000 gallons, which is likely more than what is needed. The average residential customer uses about 3,300 gallons per month.

Officials cautioned the water could still have a licorice-type odor, but they said it was safe.


Other residents were relieved, but still anxious.

"I'm not going to drink it. I'll shower in it and do dishes in it. But I won't drink it. I don't think it's (the chemical) all out," said Angela Stone, 39, who started flushing her system soon after the ban was lifted.

About 6,000 to 10,000 customers were cleared to use the water again Monday, West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre said.

The first area cleared was downtown Charleston, the state capital and its largest city. Hospitals were flushing out systems and schools Superintendent James Phares said he hoped the largest two school systems could reopen Tuesday.





Over the past few days, tests have showed that levels were consistently below a toxic threshold, and in some samples, there was no trace of the chemical at all. Officials were also keeping a close eye on water downstream to make sure there was no impact to aquatic life and wildlife. No fish kills were reported.





Lawmakers were to return to the Capitol on Monday after Friday's session was cut short because there wasn't any water. Their work now will likely include a look at how Freedom Industries flew under the regulatory radar because its storage tanks weren't considered hazardous enough to require environmental permitting. Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman said one idea is to require tanks to be a certain distance from the river.





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