Nine out of 10 water wells tested in the Whiteman Hill area are contaminated.

That was the report Helen Earley gave Wetzel County Commissioners Tuesday. She handed the commissioners copies of the reports from the Wetzel-Tyler Health Department. Commission President Don Mason asked how close together the tested residences are. Earley explained they were spread out on the ridge.

Mason said this was good data for the office of Congressman Alan Mollohan about the contamination of the water wells.

Another Whiteman Hill resident, Lou Rabel, reported that Nelsen was given a copy and that Mollohan’s office also received the report.

She reported that they have had no response back from Senator Jay Rockefeller’s office concerning their issues with the water project.

Paul Weaver, a resident of Whiteman Hill, explained that he has been in contact with Keith Nelsen of the Wetzel County Public Service District District 1 and was told there is a delay of the engineering study of the project due to an engineer resigning, but the work should continue soon.

Mason and Commission Vice President Bob Gorby told the Whiteman Hill residents present at the meeting that they too have been in contact with Nelsen and they realized the study is taking a little longer than expected. Gorby told Weaver they hope by the end of the month some progress will be made.

Weaver stressed to the commissioners that this project is “a big thing and would be a big help in our community.”

He explained that the residents are hauling water everyday. He further explained that if there was water in their area, more people would want to build homes and live there and this in turn would be an asset to the county economically.

The commissioners thanked the residents for coming and continuing to give updates and reports to them.