City of Elkins 2024 Water Quality Report Confirms High-Quality, Safe Drinking Water

ELKINS, W.Va. — October 9, 2025 — The City of Elkins Water Department has released its 2024 Annual Water Quality Report, which confirms that Elkins residents’ drinking water meets or surpasses all state and federal health standards. This report underscores the City’s commitment to providing residents with clean, safe drinking water in full compliance with the stringent federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The data reflects the department’s year-round dedication to the rigorous testing and treatment processes that ensure public health and safety.

As a regulated public water system, the Elkins Water Plant adheres to comprehensive EPA requirements, which include regular water sampling and independent laboratory testing for approximately 100 potentially harmful contaminants. The 2024 report details the results of this extensive monitoring, with key findings that include a clean record for water clarity (industry term: “turbidity”) and optimal disinfectant levels. Furthermore, recent testing at 20 area residences has confirmed that lead and copper levels were well within federal safety thresholds, demonstrating the effectiveness of the entire water system.

Maintaining this high standard requires constant vigilance and a multi-step treatment approach, backed by detailed record-keeping as mandated by the EPA. The department’s diligence was further validated in January 2025, when an inspection by the WV Bureau of Public Health concluded with no significant deficiencies reported, a direct result of this disciplined, compliance-focused operation.

“Providing safe, high-quality drinking water is our most critical responsibility,” said Water System Manager, Chief Operator Wes Lambert. “The results in this report are a testament to the dedicated work of our team every single day. We are committed to the transparency, continuous investment, and rigorous protocols it takes to protect public health and deliver water that our community can trust with confidence.”

The 2024 Annual Water Quality Report is available for review on the City of Elkins website. Previous reports are available here.

Image credit of Elkins Water Treatment Plant: Leon Kaye