Who Wants Clean Water?

Morgantown residents did not always have access to clean water. The Borough of Morgantown first discussed providing water to residents in 1859, before a reservoir existed here. Sometime after May 1865, John Edwards, an African-American, began a water-hauling business, charging 10 cents a barrel for water from the Monongahela River and 15 cents a barrel for water from Deckers Creek. He supplied water until 1889, outlasting several attempts to establish water companies. In 1885, the newly established Morgantown Improvement Company proposed a public water works system to deliver clean water to residents through pipes. The effort drew strong public support, with advocates praising the promise of pure, soft water and arguing that a water works would improve health, comfort, and property values, but the plan failed.

Cheat Lake, West Virginia · United States