Grant funding set for projects in McDowell and Wyoming counties

Grant money is again moving toward McDowell County, with state officials tying the county to water infrastructure funding and a separate batch of 37 roadway paving projects. The most recent water round came on June 8, 2026, when the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council approved about $3.3 million in funding and financing for four water infrastructure projects across the state, including a public service district in McDowell County.

Governor Patrick Morrisey said the June 2026 money was part of a broader push to support water systems, and WVNS reported that McDowell County PSD is receiving funding for water infrastructure projects. The public service district has been one of the county entities most closely associated with long-running needs around drinking water and system reliability, but the county-level notice did not break out a project name, construction schedule or final dollar split for McDowell alone.

McDowell had already been included in a water and sewer grant round in 2025. On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Morrisey awarded three grants for water and sewer projects in West Virginia, including work in McDowell, Barbour and Calhoun counties. That announcement linked the money to economic growth, infrastructure upgrades and public health, three areas that often hinge on whether a county can replace aging lines and keep service stable in places such as Welch, Gary, War, Keystone and Northfork.

Road work is also part of the picture. In June 2024, McDowell County was set to receive funding for 37 additional roadway paving projects after lawmakers approved $150 million in supplemental funding for road paving during a special legislative session. That state money came on top of $190 million in federal funding already received by the West Virginia Division of Highways, showing that McDowell’s road program was being folded into a much larger statewide paving push rather than handled as a single local project.

The county’s comprehensive plan, adopted as a long-term planning document, gives those infrastructure decisions a local frame: McDowell has repeatedly pointed to roads, water and basic service access as priorities that shape whether residents can move, work and receive public services without interruption. West Virginia’s centralized grants portal and Grants Management Office now give counties and local agencies a clearer path to track and manage that money, but the measure of success in McDowell will still be visible on the ground, in pipes, pavement and service reliability.