Seventy-eight years ago, in 1947, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors approved a report to supply public water and sewer at Mathews Court House. The price was to be $150,000, financed by bonds and paid up in 30 years.
We’re not sure what happened to derail the plan.
However, it was approximately 30 years later, actually in 1975, that a central sewage system finally went in place for the area. Fifty years after that, the village is still waiting—if it wants it—for public water.
Other attempts to provide a public water source in Mathews also failed, notably after a deli opened and closed in 1993, because of no approved water source; in 1998, after the Mathews Main Street Committee said public water was the village’s greatest need; and again when the issue resurfaced in 2008.
The long story is actually very short: nothing happened.
We were happy to read that Mathews supervisor Janice Phillips, at the Jan. 16 board meeting, cited the lack of public water service in the Court House area...