PSC Schedules March 19 Hearings in Welch on Gary Water System

The West Virginia Public Service Commission has scheduled an in-person public comment hearing at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 19, in Welch to advance its review of the Gary Municipal Water Works, with an evidentiary hearing to follow at the same location. The PSC lists the venue as the McDowell Armory, County Commission Conference Room, 600 Stewart Street, Welch; some notices identify the site as the National Guard Armory at that address.

“The Commission opened a general investigation in July 2025 under the Distressed and Failing Utilities Improvement Act into Gary Municipal Water Works,” the PSC notice states, citing a probe launched after years of concerns. The investigation was prompted by reports of long-standing water quality problems, substantial water loss, and operational and management challenges at the town’s water plant in McDowell County.

According to PSC filings summarized by staff, “On February 6, PSC staff recommended that Gary’s water utility be designated ‘distressed’ and that McDowell County Public Service District be appointed to assist the town.” That recommendation moves the case toward possible state intervention under the Distressed and Failing Utilities Improvement Act and names McDowell County Public Service District as the agency proposed to manage or support corrective action for Gary’s system.

A public comment hearing will give customers and Welch-area residents an opportunity to speak before the evidentiary phase begins. As the PSC notice spells out, “A public comment hearing is scheduled for 11am March 19 at the McDowell Armory, County Commission Conference Room, 600 Stewart Street, Welch. An evidentiary hearing will follow at the same location.” Both sessions are listed under Case No. 25-0611-W-DU on the PSC docket.

The official case docket, Case No. 25-0611-W-DU, is the primary record for the July 2025 order opening the investigation and for the Feb. 6 staff recommendation; the PSC directs interested parties to its website, click “Case Information,” and search that case number for documents and filings. With the hearings less than two weeks away, the docket will contain notices, staff reports, and any orders or motions that will shape whether McDowell County Public Service District assumes an assisting role for Gary.

Municipal officials in Gary and representatives of the McDowell County Public Service District were identified in PSC material as central actors in the proceedings; the March 19 hearings in Welch will be the next formal step in determining how the state responds to the water quality, water loss, and management challenges facing Gary’s water utility.