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‘Doing nothing is killing us': Worthington residents outraged over town's sewage issues
WORTHINGTON, (WBOY) — Residents of Worthington have become increasingly concerned over the town's sewage issues, with some even reporting that the issue is getting them sick.
12 News first brought you this story more than a year ago, and again in April 2025, but residents said the situation has not improved since.
Nathan Kyer, a Worthington resident and a disabled veteran who is immunocompromised, told 12 News that sewage water rising into his property has been a problem for about eight years. However, what used to be a twice-a-year occurrence has now increased to two-to-three times a month.
'I get infections very easy. Sinus infections, upper respiratory, rashes on my skin, staph is a big one I have to watch for […] Had infection from where my open stitches are from a surgery I recently had, and my throat it's when up to my ears and you get tired of it,' said Kyer, who stayed at home for two months to stay safe after his surgery but now the sewage issues are affecting his health.
Residents said that it's raw sewage soiling their basements, lawn and property, which happens during storms when the sewage system gets backed up.
'When we have storms, it's really bad. The system just can't handle it. It's vapor locks, I'm guessing. I used to build sewer systems, and it all backs up in the house. You call, the emergency number they have now took me to a free Amazon card drawing so I've had to call 911 before. There's an emergency number now where they have been answering, but then they contact the mayor and then it still took 18 hours for them to get out here last time, and I was having severe IBS,'
'I actually have to sleep in my bathroom sometimes, it gets so bad, and it's not acceptable, it's ridiculous, I've had to use five-gallon buckets and it's very demoralizing. It's in my house, my house stinks, I have animals, you know, it makes you really upset,' Kyer said.
Kyer said that although the town has brought in portable toilets, in his case of IBS and being immunocompromised, it's not safe for him.
'It's destroyed all of his stuff, but when you have compromised immune systems and health issues, he can't be in these fumes, so we just try to help each other in cleaning this up but we need help, I mean we need help so bad, ' Andrea Zaleski, Worthington Resident who is one of multiple people helping clean her neighbors homes, said.
Kyer has considered moving, but selling a house with a basement that is frequently under sewage water creates a challenge.
'I have a lot of equity right now, but I'm concerned that that equity is going to be gone and I'm going to have to take a loss just for my health and my animals,' Kyer said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Worthington residents struggle with town's overflowing sewer system
Kyer isn't the only resident in this situation; dozens of residents have come together to create the Worthington WV Sewage Crisis Facebook page dedicated to documenting the ongoing sewage problem.
'Turned into the EPA, we've tried government agencies. And we are getting government responses, but it's slow and it's not enough and there's a lot of us that are suffering from this,' Kyer said.
'When this goes into people's living spaces, they're exposed to the bacteria, to the mold that's formed from the stagnant water and solid materials. We're told to open a window, we were told by the DEP at one point to open a window, and I just can't accept that as an answer,' Zaleski said.
In October 2024, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection informed the town about violations it found after an inspection. Zaleski said the town is currently working on a Plan of Corrective Action (POCA) on how to solve the issue, but Zaleski said, 'we have zero confidence that that's going to happen.'
Residents like Zaleski said they've run out of options and turned to a protest non-vote in Tuesday's municipal election, which ended up having fewer than 10 voters, according to Delegate Phil Mallow. This means that the town's municipality could be at risk, but Zaleski said this is now the best course of action for the residents.
'We are trying to put together a declaration of no confidence in this administration and plead for the county commission to take over this issue for sewage. I understand that they're going through a process right now, but we've been told that for so long, and nothing happens. So I think that, and like I said, in their defense, I think this is just so overwhelming, they really—how would you know what to do? But doing nothing is killing us,' Zaleski said.
According to West Virginia State Code, a municipality can forfeit its charter or certificate of incorporation if fewer than 20 legal votes are cast in its most recent election. Once the town's election results are certified, if fewer than 20 people voted, residents can petition the Marion County Court, and the town could be dissolved, leaving its 173 residents to be assimilated by the county.
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Mallow, who recently attended a town meeting over the sewage issues and has contacted other officials to try and find a resolution, spoke with 12 News about this situation.
'I'm sure everybody's frustrated, but it just seems odd to me that if it's been going on since 2008 or 2018 or whatever the case may be, that all of a sudden it's come to a head,' Mallow said.
Worthington town officials told 12 News they have 'no comment' regarding Worthington's municipality status, but that they are working on a statement about the sewage issues in the town.
'As of right now, our attorney is going to get some things ready to address the issue,' said the official. They added that town officials have plans to be interviewed by 12 News and another outlet, but did not provide a date for the interview.
'The statement will come out when everything is typed up and ready because we have a lot of evidence that we're going to present to prove what's going on,' the official said.
The Marion County Commission has yet to reply to 12 News' request for comment on this story.
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