CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Roads, water and sewer systems must be built and upgraded to boost economic development in Fayette and Kanawha counties, said Democratic candidates in the new 32nd and 36th House districts.

The candidates said children in eastern Kanawha County ride their bikes along streets flooded with untreated sewage.

"Right now, there's sewage running in Chelyan. It's horrific," said Mark Hunt, a Democratic incumbent who said he has asked Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to dedicate state contingency funds for water and sewer projects. "We've recognized the problem, and we're fixing it."

Delegate Danny Wells, D-Kanawha, said the Loudendale area desperately needs a public sewer system.

"It is nothing short of appalling that in the year 2012 that some areas in the district do not have access to clean water and do not have adequate sewage facilities," said Wells, who has served in the Legislature the past eight years. "It will be my goal to help find funding for these projects."

Charleston lawyer Bob Johns, another candidate in the 36th District, said the Marmet and Lens Creek areas also have sewage issues.

"I'm telling you, it's a major problem," said Johns, who owns properties in eastern Kanawha County. "It's going right into the creek."

Candidates running for seats in the 32nd and 36th House Districts met with Gazette editors last week.

The 32nd District covers Fayette County, part of Raleigh County and about a thousand residents in eastern Kanawha County. The 36th District includes parts of South Hills, Kanawha City, Charleston's West Side and eastern Kanawha County.

Jonathan Walkup, a security guard who's running in the 32nd District, said many homes and businesses in Fayette County don't have access to public water systems.

However, Delegate John Pino, D-Fayette, who's running in the same race, said water service has expanded significantly in Fayette County in recent years. Water and sewer projects have sparked economic development between Oak Hill and Fayetteville, he said.

"To a large part, it's already happening in Fayette County," Pino said.

Pino added that water and sewer improvements also helped persuade the Boy Scouts of America to build a National Scouting and Jamboree Center on 10,600 acres in Fayette County.

"You've got to believe it to see it," Pino said.

Delegate Margaret Anne Staggers, who's also running in the 32nd, said the Boy Scout project will create additional jobs and opportunities for Fayette County businesses -- especially those that offer outdoor activities, such as rafting and zip-lining.

"The Boy Scouts will be bringing families with them, and we see that as a real win-win," said Staggers, chairwoman of the House Transportation and Roads Committee. She was interviewed separately from the other candidates because of a prior engagement.

The House candidates also said the state must do more to improve roads in Fayette and Kanawha counties.

Delegate Nancy Guthrie, D-Kanawha, who's running in the 36th District, said U.S. 60 and W.Va. 61 between Charleston and Montgomery are "safety hazards" that should be repaved and repaired.

"Good roads really spark economic activity," Guthrie said.

Sharon Spencer, a candidate in the same district, agreed.

"We have to figure out why the roads haven't been repaired in all this time," said Spencer, a longtime delegate who was defeated in 2010. "The heavy trucks that go by just make the roads worse."

Pino said repairs to roads in eastern Kanawha County and Fayette County are ongoing.

"We've been chipping away, doing it in segments," he said. "It's not easy to build a road in West Virginia, but it has to be done."

Reach Eric Eyre at erice...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4869.