Martin County has only one (1) water system, the Martin County Water and Sanitation Districts (MCWSD). This is classified as a Community Water System (CWS) and it was established in 1968 to serve approximately 600 households. Throughout the years, it was expanded to cover most of the county, including the city of Inez, Warfield, Tomahawk, Lovely, Beauty, Davisport, among other outlying communities and subdivisions.

Currently, there are 230 miles of distribution piping and 19 booster stations, serving about 3,450 customers.

See also, Resources Pages and Contacts for Water Systems in Martin County.

Sources

Martin County Water and Sanitation Districts (MCWSD), Board Packets, April 2025.

Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, Kentucky WRIS Portal, Martin County Water District. 

Kentucky Division of Water, “Martin Co Information Request_8.8.25” sent to LiKEN (8/11/2025).

For decades, the Martin County public drinking water system has faced significant and documented challenges, including major leaks and water loss, aging infrastructure, service disruptions and financial instability, water quality problems (taste, odor, discoloration), and a high frequency of boil water advisories. This not only signals public health risks but also frequent repairs.

More specifically, the challenges facing the county’s public drinking water system are;

• Extreme water loss (water leaks) and frequent line breaks. Currently, the Martin County Water District (MCWD) is treating 2.2 million gallons per day, yet 1.4 million gallons per day reach water customers, mainly due to water leaks. In 2024, utility and state authorities reported that the MCWD “loses more than half the water it treats,” experiencing frequent line breaks that interrupt drinking water services. Water loss has been a chronic problem for MCWD. In 2020, the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PCS) documented a yearly water loss of 65% in MCWD. Between 2018–2019, the loss rates were ranging from 57% to 73%, while water loss has historically been as high as 80%. Currently (as of June 2025) water loss is 45.68%, which is the lowest it has been in over 20 years.

• Raw Water Intake (RWI) and pump reliability issues: frequent failures of the raw water intake, which involve the water pump at the Tug Fork River, started in 2002 and culminated in 2018. When freezing temperatures compromised the public water system, thousands of local residents were without water for a week or more. Since 2020, when the RWI broke down, rental pumps have been used—a subject that has created persisting disputes within Martin County communities. A project to fix several issues, including the raw water intake (by installing a cart on a ramp to lift the electric pump when water levels rise), began in 2020, yet remains unfinished.

• Frequent boil water advisories and service outages: localized, large–area and county–wide water boil advisories following major water breaks and continuing leakage–related field work occur frequently in Martin County.

• Affordability pressure to water customers: According to an Appalachian Citizen’s Law Center Affordability Study (2023), customer rates in Martin County are the second highest rate payers in the state, relatively to the household income, reflecting the chronic water loss and decades of disinvestment and mismanagement. 

• Historical contamination that strained drinking water infrastructures and undermined trust: The October 11, 2000 Martin County coal slurry impoundment failure (the “slurry spill”) released more than 306 million of gallons of slurry to local waters, prompting emergency responses and long–term public concern about the drinking water quality provided by the MCWD. Among the long–standing impacts of this man–made environmental disaster has been the undermining of trust towards drinking water, service providers and the state and federal government agencies.

• Persisting governance, financial management and staffing issues: The PSC opened a formal investigation on the operating capacity of MCWD in 2016, leading to enhanced monitoring and to a mandate for bringing outside professional management. Since 2020, the MCWD has entered a full–service operating agreement with Alliance Water Resources. 

• Long–term underfunding and slow pace of improvements: Important projects, like storage/booster upgrades, telemetry and replacement of meters have been funded through state and federal programs. However, many years of scarce funding and the system’s non–eligibility for funding have led to the accumulation of debt for the MCWD.

Sources

Childress R., “Entire Eastern Ky. county under boil water advisory after main water line breaks,” Lexington Herald Leader, Dec. 27, 2022. 

Cromer M., and Draper R., 2020. Drinking Water Affordability Crisis, Martin County, Kentucky, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center & Martin County Concerned Citizens

Commonwealth of Kentucky. Before the Public Service Commission. Case No. 2021–00154. 

Estep B., “As water system sees improvements, residents of Eastern Kentucky county still don’t trust it,” Lexington Herald Leader, March 13, 2024 

Geraldine Torrelas, The source of Martin County’s water problems. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2025,

Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, Dec. 2018, “Findings and Recommendation Regarding the Martin County Water District.”

Martin County Water District, Water Quality Report 2023 

The water often contains impurities like sediment, bacteria, and pollutants that must be removed to make it safer for consumption. Water treatment is the process of obtaining clean and safe water from previously polluted water. Treating water is essential for ensuring public health, in compliance with regulations. Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is a fundamental right. 

In Martin County communities, access to safe and clean water is among the most commonly recognized challenges facing the aging, under–funded, and inadequately maintained public water system. These challenges further intensify and are intensified by a generalized sense of distrust of public drinking water systems, posing important water systems’ governance and management challenges. 

What underscores the necessity of treating drinking water in Martin County is the combination of historical and economic conditions, environmental and health challenges, including mental health implications of water quality concerns, as well as engineering challenges related to the mountainous terrain. 

See also, “What stresses water and wastewater systems?”

Source

Taylor, B., McNeeley, S., Gaglia–Bareli, M., Landes, L., Schlichting, L., Thompson, D., & Will, R. (2024). Water and Climate Equity in Rural Water Systems in the United States. Pacific Institute, LiKEN, RCAP.

The Martin County Water District operates a treatment plant in the City of Inez, where drinking water is processed before it is distributed to Martin County residents. The treatment process typically includes the transfer of raw, untreated water from the source water to the treatment plant, where it undergoes various purification processes to remove debris and bacteria. The quality of source water can significantly impact the treatment process. 

More specifically, the steps involved in the process are:

1. Screening and straining to remove large debris such as leaves, sticks, and trash. 

2. Coagulation‌ involves adding chemicals, like alum to the water, causing tiny particles to stick together into larger particles ( called flocs). 

3. Flocculation, which involves gently mixing the water and floc to help them stick together. This process makes flocks bigger and heavier, so that they can be easily removed.

4. These flocs are then removed through sedimentation, which involves removing flocs by letting them settle to the bottom of the tank. The clean water is then removed from the top of the tank, leaving the heavy flocs at the bottom. 

5. Filtration removes tiny particles and pollutants that have been made bigger and heavier during the sedimentation process and pollutants that are too small to be removed by sedimentation. It involves passing the water through a fine filter, such as sand or gravel, which traps pollutants and allows clean water to pass through. 

6. Finally, the water goes through disinfection, which involves the use of disinfectants, such as chlorine, chloramine, or ultraviolet light to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, or otherwise dangerous pathogens in the water. Sometimes, the water may need to be dechlorinated before it reaches consumers to ensure safety and compliance with health standards. 

7. Ultimately, the water is pumped to the distribution system and storage tanks before it reaches your household or business through water mains, which are large, buried pipes, and water lines, which are smaller pipes. 

The Martin County Water District stores treated water in holding tanks across the county. Water storage can sometimes lead to higher levels of disinfection byproducts or DBPs. These chemicals form when substances naturally found in water, like leaves or algae, react with the chemicals we use to clean the water, such as chlorine. When water is stored for longer periods, there’s more time for these reactions to occur and for DBPs to build up. 

See also Zones

Sources

Acciona, Water Treatment. 

CDC, “Water Treatment”

EPA, “How does your water system work?”

RCAC, A Drop of Knowledge 

If you are not connected to the Martin County Water District (MCWD), then chances are that you are drinking water from a private well, or hauled water, a cistern or a spring. According to the Kentucky Division of Water, currently there are 245 wells supplying water to households. For some areas of Martin County not served by a public water system, a privately owned domestic well is the only option.

According to the Kentucky Geological Survey, in Martin County, in 1999, about 3,900 people (33% of the population) was relying on private domestic water supplies, and 100 people were using cisterns or hauled sources. It is important to note that drilled wells were not included in this count. The actual number of drilled wells in Martin County is higher, and almost three decades later, it remains not well documented.

Appalachia is home to numerous highly valued natural mineral springs, often located on hillsides or valley floors, where aquifers are filled to a point that the water held underground flows out onto the surface. According to the Kentucky Division of Water there is no data about the number of households using spring water.

Sources

Kentucky Geological Survey, “Ground–water Resources of Martin County, Kentucky.”University of Kentucky. 

Kentucky Geological Survey, “Water Well and Spring Location Map” In Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository. University of Kentucky. 

EPA, Private Drinking Water Wells.

Kentucky Division of Water for Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network. Martin County, Water Resources Mapping Request. Completed 6/10/2025.

Compared to public water systems, private wells provide drinking water with no water bills, while the electricity bill for running the pump is less. Of course, there are costs for the initial drilling, the construction and maintenance of the well, but also for the well water treatment, including its desalination.

In addition, the costs to ensure safe well water can be considerable in Martin County. Often, groundwater from drilled wells contains noticeable amounts of iron and is considered moderately hard to extremely hard. Also, naturally occurring contaminants like sulfate, salt, iron, and manganese may be in increased amounts. Furthermore, proper well construction is essential to isolate freshwater zones from deeper saline waters to prevent contamination. 

In contrast, public water systems typically have regulated and more predictable costs. In addition, drinking water provided is regularly tested to meet health and safety standards. This means that there are government agencies, which are responsible (and accountable) for the cleanliness and safety of your drinking water. In contrast, private wells receive at best minimal oversight from local and state authorities (e.g. limited testing upon installation, or when property changes hands). A lot of private wells escape regulation altogether, being left out of water testing for pollutants that would lead to action to mitigate them when discovered are the sole responsibility of the water well owner(s).

Sources

Kentucky Geological Survey, “Ground–water Resources of Martin County, Kentucky.” University of Kentucky. 

Kentucky Geological Survey, “Water Quality.” University of Kentucky. 

Hygnstorm J.R., Woldt W., Skipton O.S. (2012). Private Drinking Water Wells: The Distribution System. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension. Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

EPA, Private Drinking Water Wells.

Pelle D., (2022). “What is a Private Water Well? (Everything you Need to Know!”

Nate Seltenrich, “Unwell: The Public Health Implications of Unregulated Drinking Water.” Science Selection. In Environmental Health Perspectives.

Wells are often classified by their primary use. The typical types are: 

• Domestic wells: used for supplying water to individual households for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and other hygienic needs. 

• Agricultural (AG) wells: used for supplying water for farming purposes, such as irrigation, or providing water for livestock.

• Public Water System (PWS) wells: used to provide water to a public water system serving multiple businesses, households or communities. 

• Industrial wells: used to supply water to manufacturing, processing, cooling or other industrial operations.

• Mining wells: used in mineral extraction operations, such as dewatering mines or cooling off materials and machinery in mining operations.

According to the Kentucky Division of Water, in Martin County there are 245 domestic wells, 3 agricultural wells, 6 wells feeding non–community public water systems, 3 industrial wells, and 9 mining wells.

Sources

Kentucky Division of Water, “Martin Co Information Request_8.8.25” sent to LiKEN (8/11/2025). 

U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey. 2008. Ground–Water Availability in the United States. Virginia.

When considering installing a well in your property, it is important to be aware of the different types of wells available and make informed decisions on the type of well that is right for your geological conditions and water table fluctuations, that is cost–effective and ensures a reliable and safe water supply, with minimized contamination risks. 

Various designs include vertical, horizontal, and sub–horizontal wells, offering access to different depths in aquifers, depending on engineering applications and intended uses. The main types of wells are:

• Dug/Bored wells are holes in the ground dug by shovel or backhoe; they have a large diameter and are shallow (approximately 10–30 feet deep). They are lined with stones, brick, tile, or other material to prevent collapse. This structure is called casing. The construction of dug/boredwells is often labor–intensive and can be less costly than other well types, although they typically yield smaller quantities of water. 

• Driven wells are constructed by driving a narrow pipe into the ground, typically reaching depths of 25 to 50 feet. They offer a cost–effective solution for areas with high groundwater levels, where groundwater is readily accessible. Driven wells are cased continuously. Though cased, driven wells can be easily contaminated, because they draw water from aquifers near the surface.

• Drilled wells are constructed by percussion or rotary–drilling machines to reach greater depths, often being thousands of feet deep. Drilled wells have a lower risk of contamination due to their depth and use of continuous casing, which is necessary for preventing contamination and maintaining structural integrity.

Sources

EPA, Learn About Private Water Wells | US EPA

A well water supply system is composed of:

•  a well, the hole dug in the ground to reach water below the surface (to the aquifer or water table),

• a well pump , which is installed in the borehole and brings water to the surface,

• a well casing, which prevents dirty water from the soil from getting into the well,

• a service pipe, which carries water between the well and the residence or business,

• a pressure tank, which holds water and it is usually located on the lower level of the house (e.g. in the basement). Water can also be stored in a reservoir called a vault,

• a main shut–off valve, which is located between the well and the pressure tank,

• a pressure switch that automatically starts and stops the pump at predetermined pressures,

• (optionally) a pressure gauge, which displays a readout of the pressure of the tank

Sources

Pelle D., (2022). “What is a Private Water Well? (Everything you Need to Know!”

Farrel–Poe K., Jones–McLean L., McLean S., (2011). Private Water Well Components. The University of Arizona.

Many counties with a long history of large–scale timbering and coal mining have experienced issues with their natural springs, and Martin County is no exception. Many of its valuable springs are in a degraded state, or contaminated due to environmental factors. The groundwater in Martin County has high levels of metals and sulfate because of past coal mining, and it is known to be moderately to extremely hard in terms of mineral content. In addition, springs nearby may contain elevated levels of iron, manganese, and sulfate, which all further affect water quality. This degradation can present serious health risks for residents who depend on springs for their drinking water.

A spring can be ever–flowing, seasonal, or may only flow after periods of rain, and may change over their lifetime. 

There are two common types of springs:

• Concentrated springs typically occur when groundwater emerges from one defined discharge in the earth's surface. 

• Seepage springs occur when shallow groundwater oozes or "seeps" from the ground over a large area and has no defined discharge point. 

See also, “What are some things to know and consider when drinking water from a spring?”

“How can you take care of a natural spring?”

[Anything more to say about springs?]

Sources

U.S. Geological Survey, Springs and the Water Cycle. By Water Science School.

PennState Extension, Spring Development and Protection”. Updated January 10, 2023. 

Rainwater Harvesting Policies “Cistern.”