Congresswoman Miller Speaks at Briefing on the Economic Impact of Water Access in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) spoke at the Briefing on the Economic Impact of Water Access in the U.S. to discuss water access issues in West Virginia and across America.
During this briefing, Congresswoman Miller highlighted DigDeep who is focused on bringing clean, running water across the country, including in Appalachia. She applauded them for their work on the Appalachia Water Project in McDowell County, West Virginia and thanked them for their commitment to bring clean water to communities around the country. Congresswoman Miller emphasized that clean, running water should not be a luxury, but the standard in the United States.
Remarks as prepared are below:
“Good afternoon everyone! Thank you so much to the leaders at DigDeep for inviting me here today to speak about water access issues.
In West Virginia, we know all too well that access to clean water is never guaranteed. I’ve driven through the back roads of McDowell County, in the southernmost part of my district, and I am keenly aware of families filling up water jugs on the side of the road with water from a stream because their wells don’t have clean water. This is unacceptable. West Virginians need clean water access.
Through the hard work of DigDeep and the Appalachia Water Project, more families in McDowell County will be able to access clean, drinkable water. I’d like to personally thank George McGraw, the CEO of DigDeep, Eddie George, who works on the Appalachia Water Project in Welch, and Linda and Bob McKinney, the owners of Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank in Kimball, West Virginia. You live and work in McDowell county, and the work you all do to improve the lives of southern West Virginians is noticed and greatly appreciated throughout the state.
The Appalachia Water Project works with local governments, water utilities, and community partners to bring clean, running water to McDowell County families. It’s my understanding the project is slated to bring water to 150 families in 2023. This will make a huge difference in our communities, giving some residents access to clean water for the first time. West Virginians are incredibly grateful for these efforts.
Access to clean water should be the standard for every community in America - and we shouldn’t just rely on the generosity of others. I’m working hard every day in Washington to steer federal dollars towards local projects that place an emphasis on delivering clean water to families in West Virginia and across the country.
That’s why I was thankful to work with DigDeep last Congress to secure funding to provide sanitary septic and sewerage service to 35 households in McDowell County. This may not sound like a huge number, but considering there are only 15,000 people total in the county, 35 households is a lot. This project increased the safety of water for all residents in McDowell county because raw sewage has been stopped from being piped into our wastewater systems. This was a crucial step in the right direction to provide adequate wastewater management for West Virginia. I look forward to continuing to use my position in Congress to improve living conditions for families throughout the state.
Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment to providing water access to families all across the nation - and particularly in my beautiful and challenging home state of West Virginia. We must continue these critical efforts to make sure that access to clean water is available in our state - not just a luxury only afforded to some.”
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