Bill > HB4642

This bill establishes the West Virginia Clean Water Act of 2026, aiming to improve drinking water quality by setting enhanced standards that meet or exceed federal guidelines, updating maximum contaminant levels—which are the highest permissible levels of substances like lead, arsenic, and PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in water—every three years based on scientific research, and requiring water utilities to use advanced filtration systems when these levels are exceeded. It also creates the West Virginia Safe Water Fund to provide financial assistance for upgrading water treatment plants and replacing aging pipelines, with priority given to rural and underserved areas, and mandates that public water systems, which are systems providing water to the public for consumption, conduct quarterly testing for contaminants and publicly report results within 30 days, with any violations of maximum contaminant levels requiring immediate notification to residents within 24 hours. Furthermore, the bill mandates a comprehensive survey of lead service lines, which are pipes that carry water from the main water line to homes, by 2028 and a complete replacement program by 2036, offering financial aid to low-income households for this purpose, and establishes penalties for non-compliance, including fines and potential state intervention, with collected fines being reinvested into the Safe Water Fund.

Transportation and Infrastructure

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4642&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill