Is CWSC in Hot Water Again?

Attorney General Investigating Company

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has opened an investigation into the Consolidated Water Supply Corporation (CWSC), according to an anonymous letter received this week at The Messenger offices.

“At the request of the Office of the Attorney General, CWSC will not disclose details of this investigation other than to confirm that the investigation does not relate to the quality of the water supplied by CWSC,” the letter stated.

A letter confirming the investigation is posted on the CWSC website and signed by General Manager Amber Stelly.

The communication to members/customers of CWSC concerned an item on the Jan. 9 agenda which stated: “Discuss for action (legal) counsel’s suggestion with respect to (the) Attorney General’s

In an e-mail from Kayleigh Lovvorn, a media relations specialist spokesperson in the OAG’s Communications Department, she confirmed two complaints against the CWSC had been received and were under review.

“We have two complaints filed against the Consolidated Water Supply Corporation, both of which are available through our Public Information office,” Lovvorn’s e-mail stated.

A Freedom of Information request was sent to the OAG, but as of press time, a response had not been received.

The CWSC general manager said her office is cooperating fully with the OAG investigation.

“All I’m doing is acting as a witness and answering their questions,” Stelly said. “I want the press to have whatever information they can have that doesn’t affect the investigative proceedings. I want to be responsible and transparent.”

When asked specifically what the investigation concerned, the GM said, “They (OAG investigators) haven’t told us. The investigators haven’t told me the scope of the investigation. They made it pretty clear that any questions they did ask me – because it was an ongoing investigation – I needed to keep to myself.”

“I really don’t know the scope, at all,” Stelly said. “We’re cooperating fully with any records requests and any questions they ask. We are going to answer as truthfully as we can.”

Stelly added, “I was a member here for five years before I became the manager. No one wants transparency more than I do, even more so now. Who doesn’t want to clean up any issues, if there are any, right from the beginning?”

The GM asserted, “I told my team if they are contacted by an investigator, our stance is you tell the truth. The investigators have told me not to discuss the conversations with anyone else. I really do not know the scope of the investigation. All I know is that it is not about water quality. I don’t even know if they will tell me when it’s closed.”

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].