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Martin County water treatment plant
Martin County relies on a water treatment plant that was built in 1968. [Benny Becker | Ohio Valley ReSource]

Beshear Recommends Takeover Of Kentucky Water District

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INEZ, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is recommending a takeover of a troubled eastern Kentucky water district.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Beshear’s office released a report on Thursday recommending that the Public Service Commission, the state agency that regulates most Kentucky utilities, force the Martin County Water District into receivership, which would give an outside corporation or utility control of daily operations.

The district has been plagued with reports of poor water quality and reliability. The report released by Beshear’s Office of Rate Intervention says the Martin County Water District has repeatedly failed to take steps to improve its finances and operations.

Martin County Water Board Chairman Jimmy Kerr says receivership has a lot of unknowns and is likely to result in a rate increase. He says he’d prefer more time to find outside management to run daily operations.