Rural West Virginians understand poor water quality

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The chemical spill that contaminated drinking water for 300,000 West Virginians has brought national attention to issues of water safety, but many rural West Virginians never have access to clean drinking water on a daily basis.

Residents of a small town in Wyoming County called Bud haven't been able to use their tap water for six months. Senator Daniel Hall said the man who ran the town's privately owned plant died, and the plant closed.

Regional planning director David Cole says crumbling infrastructure is affecting private and public systems systems. He says rural communities also face well contamination from septic systems.