West Virginia Plans $3.2 Million AFA for Household Water Filtration Program

West Virginia is preparing a competitive Announcement for Funding Availability (AFA) to select one qualified organization to administer a household water-filtration initiative in McDowell and Mingo counties. Announced by Governor Patrick Morrisey on November 4, 2026, the $3.2 million program is intended to reach 5,000 homes outside municipal water boundaries that rely on private wells, springs, or cisterns. The opportunity is relevant to nonprofits, community organizations, service providers, and other eligible entities with the capacity to coordinate enrollment, water testing, equipment delivery, and follow-up across two rural counties. The AFA is expected to open this week, and a final award is anticipated in January 2027.

The program combines $1.2 million in federal support through the Rural Health Transformation Program with $2 million from the Governor’s Civil Contingent Fund. Federal funding, directed through the Personal Health Accelerator clean water project, is aimed at 1,000 priority and crisis households. Those households may include homes without running water, residences with elevated bacteria or nitrate levels, and families with infants or seniors. The federal-funded package includes comprehensive state-laboratory water testing, customized filtration units, well disinfection, replacement filters through September 2027, and post-treatment verification testing. State funds will provide equipment to 4,000 additional homes, including countertop purification systems designed to remove bacteria, a year of replacement filters at setup, settling tanks for homes with high-iron water, and routine check-ins at one and six months.

The need is grounded in reported regional water-quality challenges. Studies by researchers at Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey found coliform bacteria in 65% to 90% of wells and springs tested in the region. The source also describes heavy iron that can stain fixtures, damage appliances, and contribute to household spending of thousands of dollars each year on bottled water. Governor Morrisey said, “This initiative provides a practical solution while we continue making those longer-term investments.” He also described clean, dependable drinking water as a basic necessity and said the program would bring filtration systems directly into homes, helping provide safer water to more than 10,000 West Virginians.

For prospective applicants, the central contracting consideration is the need to manage a single family sign-up process while maintaining separate accounting for federal and state funds. The selected organization will oversee household distribution and testing, with local navigators coordinating enrollment and delivery. The program also anticipates partnerships with local organizations, including the McDowell County Commission on Aging, food banks, churches, and volunteer fire departments. Water testing and filtration distribution are expected to begin in February 2027. No submission deadline or detailed eligibility criteria are provided in the available announcement, so interested organizations should monitor the West Virginia Department of Health and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for the AFA and its application instructions.

• Total program funding: $3.2 million, combining $1.2 million in federal funds and $2 million in state funds.
• Planned reach: 5,000 households relying on private wells, springs, or cisterns in McDowell and Mingo counties.
• Federal tranche: $1.2 million for 1,000 priority households, including state-lab testing, customized filtration, well disinfection, replacement filters through September 2027, and verification tests.
• State tranche: $2 million for equipment for 4,000 additional homes, including countertop systems, a year of replacement filters, settling tanks where needed, and one- and six-month check-ins.
• Procurement structure: The West Virginia Department of Health and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection are issuing a competitive AFA to select a single qualified organization.
• Operational scope: The awardee will coordinate enrollment, water testing, filtration-equipment distribution, separate accounting for state and federal funding, and follow-up.
• Timeline: AFA expected to open this week; award anticipated in January 2027; testing and distribution expected to start in February 2027.
• Local delivery model: Navigators are expected to work with community partners, including the McDowell County Commission on Aging, food banks, churches, and volunteer fire departments.
• Market signal: Organizations should prepare to assess AFA eligibility and submission requirements when released; the available source does not specify an application deadline.