Relating to establishing the West Virginia Clean Water Act of 2025
House Bill 3475 would create the West Virginia Clean Water Act of 2025 and add a new article to state code focused on drinking water quality, infrastructure upgrades, and public transparency. It directs the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt water quality standards that meet or exceed federal EPA standards, update maximum contaminant levels every three years, and require utilities to use advanced filtration where needed. The bill also establishes a West Virginia Safe Water Fund to finance grants and low-interest loans for treatment plant upgrades, pipeline replacement, and other water system improvements, with priority for rural and underserved communities.
The bill further requires quarterly testing for lead, bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants, public posting of results within 30 days, and rapid notice to residents within 24 hours of any violation. It sets a statewide survey of lead service lines by 2027 and a phased removal program requiring full replacement by 2035, including financial assistance for low-income households. The measure also authorizes fines for noncompliant utilities, possible temporary state management for repeat offenders, and annual legislative appropriations of $10 million, supplemented by federal and private funding.
HB3475 would significantly expand state oversight of drinking water systems and create new statutory duties for the Department of Environmental Protection, public water systems, and water utilities. It would establish enforceable testing, reporting, remediation, and penalty provisions, create a dedicated funding mechanism for water infrastructure improvements, and set deadlines for lead service line identification and removal. The bill would affect utilities, local water systems, households served by public water systems, and state agencies responsible for environmental regulation and infrastructure funding.
The bill appears generally supportive of stronger water safety protections, infrastructure investment, and consumer transparency, with its stated purpose centered on improving drinking water quality for West Virginia residents. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented opposition or formal debate in the supplied materials. Based on the text alone, the measure is framed as a public health and infrastructure initiative rather than a controversial regulatory rollback or expansion.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the cost and regulatory burden on water utilities and the state, especially the required annual appropriation, testing mandates, and compliance deadlines. Utilities facing fines or possible state intervention may object to the enforcement structure, while policymakers may debate whether the state can realistically fund and administer the lead service line replacement timeline. Another possible issue is the balance between aggressive water quality standards and the feasibility of meeting them in smaller or rural systems, even though the bill gives those communities priority for assistance.