HANCOCK COUNTY, W. Va. (WTRF) - The Weirton Area Water Board (WAWB) gave the community an update on their water tank levels during their meeting Thursday afternoon.
This comes after a three month long mandatory water conservation order was lifted this week.
| Related: Weirton lifts mandatory conservation advisory, asks residents to voluntarily conserve
The WAWB happily announced their water tank levels are holding and are in recovery mode.
Utilities Director A.D. Mastrantoni says they are still sourcing water from Cleveland Cliffs reservoir to their Lee Avenue reservoir and expects they will continue doing so until March 31.
“We think everything has returned back to a good state. But the interconnection helps us continue to ensure that. So, until we get our real sea legs under us, and we have a good recovery in the spring, we're going to continue that interconnection.”
A.D. Mastrantoni | Utilities Director, Weirton Area Water Board
The board was questioned by Councilwoman Brittany Holloway who wanted to know more about the city’s relationship with the water board.
More specifically, what city councils' responsibilities and oversight are when it comes to water service, but she was quickly shut down by the boards legal counsel, Daniel Guida, who told her citizen comment wasn’t the time for a Q and A.
Holloway asked Guida, "So, where would the forum be? With you personally?", to which he responded "No, just call me." Holloway said, "Okay, I did. But I still didn’t get a clear answer. I just want to do my job correctly.”
Holloway started her term January 1, and says she is trying to learn more.
Resident John Kraina also stood up to voice his concerns, but first he applauded the workers who spent countless hours repairing water line breaks.
“To the guys on the crews this past winter, the best people in town! And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what they do.”
John Kraina | Weirton Resident
Kraina’s main concern is getting the water lines properly fixed or replaced before investments are made into the treatment plant.
| Related: $44 million water treatment plant expansion begins in Weirton
“It worries me, and I want it to worry everybody so that we save ourselves. Before we start adding more treatment capacity, we need to fix the holes in the pipes. If we don't fix the holes in the pipes, all the money we're spending on that treatment is going in the ground.”
John Kraina | Weirton Resident
At this point, he says he and other residents just want transparency from the board and assurance that a water crisis like this won’t happen again.
That’s why he brought a handful of freedom of information act requests to the board.
Their legal counsel told him he had to use a new form they approved last week to submit them.
The next WAWB meeting is scheduled for April 10.