The proposed bill aims to establish the West Virginia Clean Water Act of 2025, which focuses on improving drinking water quality standards and enhancing water treatment infrastructure across the state. It introduces several key provisions, including the adoption of enhanced water quality standards that meet or exceed federal guidelines, the establishment of the West Virginia Safe Water Fund to support infrastructure improvements, and mandatory quarterly testing for contaminants in public water systems. The bill also mandates that results from these tests be made publicly available and outlines penalties for water utilities that fail to comply with maximum contaminant levels.

Additionally, the bill includes a comprehensive initiative to survey and replace lead service lines in public water systems, with a goal of complete removal by 2035. Financial assistance will be provided to low-income households for lead pipe replacement, and the Legislature is tasked with appropriating $10 million annually for water quality improvement programs. The bill emphasizes the importance of state intervention in cases of noncompliance, including the potential for temporary management of noncompliant water systems, and aims to reinvest funds collected from fines into the Safe Water Fund to further support these initiatives.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 22-37-1, 22-37-2, 22-37-3, 22-37-4, 22-37-5, 22-37-6, 22-37-7, 22-37-8, 22-37-9