Help the McCarters get water

Kevin & Laura McCarter need our help to get clean drinkable water to their beautifully restored 112 year old home that sits approximately 200 yards from the city limits of Victoria, Kansas.  Greg Schwartz, their attorney has basically donated most of his time and services and we are grateful for that.  They had originally thought the lawyer fees were going to be around $10,000.  Now that the Post Rock Rural Water District has offered to let them join their system, it’s going to cost Kevin & Laura a little over $32,000, which they lowered their quote from the original quote of $40,000 to get the water line to their property, which is over a mile and a half away.  Then, to get the water line trenched in and ran from the meter to their home and get the whole house re-plumbed, from the corrosion caused by the contaminated water, they are looking at upwards of approximately $40,000 plus, just to get SAFE drinkable water to their home.  They are planning on financing the amount, and so after 12 years of paying on their home, they will be right back to the beginning and will be starting over.  They have been through so much the last 10 months and they are very honest, hard-working, loving and generous people that would NEVER ask for help which is why WE (all of their family and friends) are asking for them.  They did not have any knowledge of us setting this page up, but all of us couldn't stand by any longer and not try to do something for them which is why WE are asking for donations to help them finally get clean safe water to their home!


Here’s their story:  After restoring and living in their home for almost 12 years, on Feb. 2, 2015, they received a report from the EPA that said the water in their wells were contaminated.  The water is unsafe to drink and is full of salts, chloroform, sulfates, and nitrates.  They have been hauling drinking water for the last several months and are still showering in the unsafe water even though technically they shouldn’t be.  They just have no other option at this point.  The water is so bad that it has caused many other problems in and around the home.  Their industrial type filter system failed which caused the basement to flood and one bathroom in the home to become unusable.  They have had to replace several tank less water heaters in recent months, also.  The water is so toxic, that it has killed plants and trees on the property.

They initially went to the Victoria City Council in February and in March to see if there was a possibility of hooking into the city water, which would require them to be annexed into the City of Victoria.  They agreed to pay all the costs to get the water line put in and to do whatever the city required them to do.  From March through September, they attended most of the City Council meetings asking for help and even after obtaining all the documents the city requested, having the property inspected, and meeting all the other demands of the city, when the vote was before the city council to annex them into the city limits, the motion died, because no one seconded it.  So without any explanation after nine months of stress and work the City of Victoria will not annex Kevin & Laura into the city’s water system.  Initially in September, the Post Rock Rural Water District formally denied Kevin & Laura’s request to obtain water from the water district because the water district said that the City of Victoria should be the ones to supply them with water because of the proximity of Kevin and Laura’s home to the city limits. 

Then in October, Kevin & Laura received a letter from the Post Rock Rural Water Districts Board of Directors that said “they were very sympathetic to your situation” and that “service would most logically come from the City of Victoria.  While it is not the ideal situation for anyone concerned, Rural Water District No.1 Ellsworth County, Kansas Board of Directors are offering to serve you a safe and reliable source of water”.  So finally, after all their sleepless nights, all the mental and emotional stress they have been through, and after many long hours spent on trying to figure out what to do to get safe drinkable water to their home, a solution has been provided to them.  Kevin & Laura are very happy about the news and have already supplied the $1,100 down payment to the water district to do the hydraulic study and obtain the water meter.  It still could take another two to three months to get the water line actually in the ground after the easements and agreements are signed, but this is finally a step in their favor to get safe water to their home.  There is so much more to this story which is why we have attached all the news articles about this and the links to Victoria’s City Council minutes and newsletters from the last year to the very bottom of this story, so that you can read all about it.  They have had so much support from their family, friends, and fellow community members through all of this.  That is why they need our help even more now, to reach the goal to obtain clean safe drinkable water that you and I take for granted coming out of our pipes at our homes!  Again, they had no knowledge of us setting this up for them and would NEVER ask for help!  Please donate whatever you can and it will all go straight to Kevin & Laura.  If you would rather send your donation by mail, that would be fine too.  Their mailing address is:  Kevin & Laura McCarter, 2567 Golf Course Rd., Victoria, KS  67671.  We thank all of you in advance for all of your love and support for Kevin & Laura!


Sept. 24, 2015 - News Article Links
http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/victoria-resident-disputes-city-over-clean-water/35471246#.VgSGaf-Ilks.facebook

http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Chris-Franks-Victoria-water-story-329305871.html

http://www.hayspost.com/2015/09/24/water-water-everywhere-but-nary-a-drop-to-drink-for-ellis-county-couple/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQYTPSbCuI&feature=player_embedded

Oct. 11, 2015 - News Article Links
http://www.hdnews.net/news/local/not-even-a-trickle-water-struggles-continue-for-victoria-couple/article_b8cfbc71-d6d2-50fd-9ac6-11c560abeddc.html#.VhqAspmdx4A.facebook

Oct. 19, 2015 - News Article Links
http://www.hayspost.com/2015/10/19/rural-water-district-offers-help-to-victoria-couple-fighting-to-get-drinking-water/

http://www.hdnews.net/news/local/water-deal-reached-for-victoria-couple/article_0ef3dd86-a134-5abb-897b-28f2c9e5a9d3.html

Oct. 20, 2015 - News Article Links
http://www.hdnews.net/news/local/victoria-wanting-to-give-its-side-of-the-story/article_1a304c7f-7772-59d5-8367-8c9603c1320f.html

Oct. 21, 2015 - News Article Links
http://www.hdnews.net/news/local/victoria-mayor-employee-clash/article_a9e06abf-881c-51e1-91df-38b21efdede7.html

Oct. 27, 2015 - News Article Links
http://www.hdnews.net/news/local/family-friends-start-online-effort-to-benefit-couple-s-quest/article_516c2f1f-b201-5a8a-ade1-0fc63a762571.html

Victoria City Council Minutes - Jan. - Sept. 2015
http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/January_19_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/February_16_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/March_16_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/April_20_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/May_18_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/June_15_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/July_20_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/August_17_2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/minutefolder/2015_2016/September_21_2015.pdf

City of Victoria Newsletters - Feb., May, and Aug.
http://victoriaks.com/newsletterfolder/Talk_of_the_Town_Feb2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/newsletterfolder/Talk_of_the_Town_May2015.pdf

http://victoriaks.com/newsletterfolder/Talk_of_the_Town_Aug2015.pdf

Facebook post - Sept. 21, 2015
https://www.facebook.com/pplofhays/posts/1200403613308966