‘It’s like a nightmare’–Meadow Bridge boil water advisory hits 7 months 

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV. Photos by Jenny Harnish, RealWV.

MEADOW BRIDGE, W.Va. — While residents and officials in the small town of Meadow Bridge disagree about most things involving the town’s water system, they both call it a “nightmare” situation in separate interviews. 

Meadow Bridge is a town of approximately 300 people located in the southeastern tip of Fayette County, bordering Greenbrier County. For the last seven months, residents have been under a “boil water advisory.” Residents have been asked to boil water from their municipal water system before using it for cooking or drinking. 

Additionally, the water system has been shut down in whole or in part numerous times during that period, including a six-week span without water during the winter. 

“We are paying our utility bills for a basic human right that is not being managed or maintained properly,” resident Kayla Yates, a mother of two who lives in Meadow Bridge with her husband, said. 

“There were many evenings during the worst of the issue when we couldn’t cook at our house because of water quality or the complete lack of water,” she said. “There were so many times I would have to leave for work somewhere else because the water wasn’t on.” 

“We have unfortunately been dealing with an ongoing water nightmare since late last year,” she said, “and I see no end in sight.” 

Town officials respond

RealWV reached out to Mayor Timmy Killen earlier this month by phone to better understand the water issues facing his town. “All the news is negative. You don’t tell the whole story. It’s all bullshit,” he said as he slammed the phone down. 

Then, Sheena Brown, who serves as the town’s billing clerk for the water department, picked up the phone. For the next hour, she proceeded to answer RealWV’s questions about the town’s water situation. 

Brown confirmed that town residents have been on a boil water advisory since late 2025 but contested the notion that the water is frequently turned off. 

“We did have six weeks of intermittent service in late 2025 and early 2026,” she said. “So we got a portable plant from the West Virginia Rural Water Association (WVRWA). It is in place. We pump water out of the creek, and it’s 99.99% pure water.” 

Yates also said that residents were receiving “consistent access to water” since the portable plant was put into use by WVRWA.

Todd Grinstead is the executive director of the WVRWA, an organization with 270 members, including Meadow Bridge and other municipal water systems. 

“We’ve gone there fairly often,” he said of his organization’s work with Meadow Bridge. “We helped them locate leaks and tighten up their system.” 

“We have a portable water treatment plant that’s trailer-mounted,” he explained. “The trailer doesn’t get deployed but a few times a year. It’s gotta be an extreme situation. We like for them to get their stuff back online as soon as possible.”

It’s currently in use at Meadow Bridge but is expected to be removed soon as the town returns to only using its own water system. 

According to Brown, the root issue is more demand than supply.

“We are in a drought…If we don’t get water out of the creek, we don’t have enough water for the city,” Brown said.

She says the town’s aquifer lacks the necessary groundwater on a regular basis to meet the needs of the water system’s 253 customers. 

“We are looking at drilling a new well that would include a new plant,” she shared. “We have a location. We are looking at getting emergency funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.” 

‘Money is the key’

Ultimately, Brown said the problem boils down to money. 

“The money just isn’t here. Us small towns are just hanging onto what we got,” he said.

Grinstead agreed with that assessment. “If we had a magic wand, we’d wave it. Money is the key. Aging infrastructure compounds the leak issue. There are a lot of systems that keep their stuff updated, and others just can’t afford it. They’re very conscious of their customers and don’t want to financially burden them.”

According to the town’s annual report, the Meadow Bridge water system had 2025 revenues of $154,785, an increase of $17,530 over the previous year. Its operating expenses were $143,177, leading to a net profit for the year. 

“We could keep the creek system in place, but groundwater is cleaner,” she said. “Creek water also requires more testing.”

‘Huge water leak’

According to WV Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Charlotte Lane, “They had a huge water leak.” 

“Our inspectors helped repair the line and get the system back in service. WVRWA took a portable plant there. Now, I think they’re going to remove it.”

“That is not a system that we regulate,” Lane said, as it’s a local, municipal water system. “However, we do help when they have problems.”

Lane added, “It’s my understanding that they still have leaks.” 

The Fayette Tribune reported in 2018 that the system was experiencing a 50% water loss rate. Brown said they’ve since taken steps to bring that number down. 

“We’re very active in leak detection,” she said. “I don’t sleep sometimes. I’m thinking about this water situation all the time. It is a nightmare. I want customers to call me when they have a problem so we can try to fix it.” 

Yates wonders if the town has the capability to run the system. “The major question I have is whether the facility or the employees are even equipped, knowledgeable, or responsible enough to operate like this?” she said.  

Consumer confidence report released

A consumer confidence report covering 2025 was released by the town this spring. It showed high levels of selenium in the water, but the town said later that the report was a mistake by the testing company. RealWV has not been able to confirm whether the report was corrected by the testing company, as the company has not returned multiple phone calls. 

A search of PSC orders shows that the town has failed to file their annual reports in a timely fashion in each of the last five years, with an administrative judge imposing and then eventually waiving a fine each year for missing the deadline imposed by state law. 

Chairman Lane said she expects to receive a status report from her field office on the Meadow Bridge situation soon. RealWV will share that in a follow-up story when it’s available.

RealWV reached out to the two state senators who represent Meadow Bridge, Sen. Vince Deeds, R, and Sen. Jack David Woodrum, R, for comment on whether the town had asked them for state assistance. Neither official immediately replied.  

Yates loves her town and neighbors, believing they deserve better service than they are getting.

“We are paying our utility bills for a basic human right that is not being managed or maintained properly,” Yates said.