It was June 1, 2018, a severe storm had battered Hardy County in eastern West Virginia causing flooding, mudslides, and landslides. The storms brought heavy rain and caused significant damage to private property and public infrastructure in Hardy County. The Hardy County Public Service District (PSD) was hit particularly hard by flooding and General Manager Logan Moyers was just getting appraised of the damage to PSD property.

The Hardy County PSD office building and maintenance shop were flooded, and several water lines were washed-out, causing a loss of service for about 100 water customers. Service was restored to all customers within 12 hours, but the impact of the flood on PSD administrative operations was just sinking in for Moyers.

“We had probably six inches of water go through the office and the shop,” said Moyers. “It affected all of our record keeping, all of our electronics, and the biggest thing for us was that it made our office building uninhabitable.”

In the aftermath of the severe storms, former President Donald Trump issued a Major Disaster Declaration for Hardy County and six other West Virginia counties. The loss of the office building displaced Moyers and eight staff members who have been operating out of a temporary construction trailer ever since. Renovating the building was considered, but the building would still have the potential to be flooded. The decision was made to construct a new facility at a new location. Thanks to the disaster declaration, the Hardy County PSD was able to secure some disaster assistance funds for the construction of a new facility, but it wasn’t enough to cover the total cost.

“When we realized that we needed additional funding our first call was to Rural Development. We have a long-standing relationship with USDA, 35 years, and a dozen projects.”

Hardy County PSD applied for a loan through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to construct a new office and maintenance shop. In 2021, Hardy County PSD was approved for a $1.46 million USDA RD loan and a grant for $291,000 in November 2022.

The site of the new facility is a 4.88-acre parcel within the Robert C. Byrd-Hardy County Industrial Park located just outside the town of Moorefield. The project will construct a 6,300-square foot building to serve as the new Hardy County PSD facility. The building will consist of a 2,000-square foot office area for administrative staff and board members and a 4,300-square foot garage area for maintenance and storage of parts, vehicles, and equipment. Construction on the new facility is slated to begin in Spring 2023.

“Currently all our equipment like our excavators and dump trucks are all parked outside exposed to the elements. With the new building, all that equipment will be parked inside in the shop. Really all of our about 2,100 water customers benefit from the assistance of USDA Rural Development. They’re always there for us when we need them, and we certainly appreciate it.” 

To learn more about USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Programs, please visit: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-environmental-programs