White Sulphur Springs announces ‘indefinite’ boil water advisory
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV — In a social media post on Wednesday morning, the City of White Sulphur Springs announced an “indefinite” boil water advisory for all customers of the municipal water system.
“A system-wide boil water advisory is now in effect until further notice due to the absence of a certified plant operator. This advisory applies to all customers. Please boil water for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or any other consumption-related purposes.”
They continued, “We understand the inconvenience this causes and are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Updates will be provided as they become available.”
A request for further information was placed with Mayor Thomas Taylor, who declined to elaborate on the situation at this time. (However, he did confirm that the situation is unrelated to the diesel spill into Howard’s Creek at Caldwell.)
‘Everyone’s unhappy’
According to the town’s website, “The plant services the City of White Sulphur Springs, the Greenbrier Hotel complex, and the Greenbrier Sporting Club.” A request for comment to The Greenbrier was not immediately returned.
Small businesses across town including hotels and restaurants are also impacted.
“I don’t know all the details. I just know everybody is unhappy,” said Adam Whanger, owner of multiple downtown businesses including Ace Hardware, Adam Whanger Contracting, Greenbrier Glass, and The Schoolhouse Hotel.
The Lunch Box, a popular eatery downtown, closed early on Wednesday as a result of the situation. “We had prepped and washed ingredients before the advisory, but now we have run out of those ingredients and can’t prep more.” They hope to reopen on Thursday.
Cindy Bowe and her husband, Mark, own and operate Barnwood Living, a retail store which also includes vacation rental cabins. “White Sulphur Springs relies heavily on tourism, hospitality, restaurants, and small businesses,” Cindy said. “Clear and timely communication is essential not only for public health, but also for maintaining visitor confidence and minimizing disruption for local businesses.”
“I understand emergencies and staffing issues can happen, and I appreciate the work being done to address the situation,” Cindy said in a message to city officials on Wednesday. “At the same time, because this advisory appears tied to staffing and certification rather than a weather event or sudden infrastructure failure, many people are understandably concerned about how long this may continue and what the broader impact could be.”
Bowe had not heard back from city officials as of Wednesday night.
City cited recently by PSC for failure to file annual reports
In a March 2026 order, Chief Administrative Law Judge Keith George instructed the City of White Sulphur Springs to file their annual report for sewer services last year with the WV Public Service Commission (PSC), which was due in the fall of 2025 but has not yet been filed. Failure to file the annual reports can come with a fee and/or investigation.
Judge George concluded: “IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED that the City of White Sulphur Springs, a municipal utility providing sewer service, be, and it hereby is, directed to file its Annual Report for 2025, covering its utility operations in the State of West Virginia, on or before June 24, 2026. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Staff file a report on or before June 1, 2026, indicating whether or not the Respondent is delinquent in filing any other Annual Reports for the years prior to 2025. The report should indicate what, if any, years prior to 2025 that an Annual Report has not yet been filed for the Respondent. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, if the Respondent fails to file its Annual Report on or before June 24, 2026, it shall appear at a hearing to be held in the Commission’s Hearing Room, Public Service Commission Building, 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, on June 25, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., at which time it shall be prepared to answer any questions relating to its failure to comply with its utility obligations with respect to filing its Annual Report for the year 2025, and shall provide an explanation for its failure to file the Annual Report.”
Another judge ordered the city in the same way to provide the annual report for water service.
The full orders can be read HERE and HERE.
Stay tuned to RealWV for updates on this developing story.
