Emma Del Torto of Charleston, W.Va., holds a sign during a demonstration at the state Capitol on Saturday, Jan.18, 2014. More than 100 people gathered to question their tap water's quality following a chemical spill that tainted the local water supply. John Raby/AP

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and several U.S. senators on Monday proposed tighter regulations for chemical storage facilities after a spill contaminated the water supply for 300,000 people.

The governor's bill, which has not yet been filed, would mandate annual inspections of above-ground chemical tanks in West Virginia, and would require the administrators of water systems serving the public to draft emergency plans in case of spills.

Storage facilities would self-report the locations, construction and maintenance of tanks, and would file annual reports. They would have to give details of their spill-prevention mechanisms, and would be subject to penalties from the Department of Environmental Protection if they do not comply.

"This proposed legislation will ensure that all above-ground storage facilities are built and maintained consistent with required safety standards," Tomblin said.

The senators, including Joe Manchin, D-W.Va, Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., plan to introduce a separate bill that aims to make the federal government set standards for state-run regulatory efforts.

Their proposal would require states to conduct inspections every three years of chemical facilities that could threaten a public water system.

Others would be inspected every five years. States could recoup costs from responding to emergencies.

Both bills aim to make locations and specifics of chemical storage sites publicly available.

Gov. Tomblin said that state authorities are working to restore public faith in the local water, and that it was up to individuals to decide whether they drink it.

"I drink it occasionally," he told Al Jazeera.

Manchin, a former West Virginia governor, told Al Jazeera that he is comfortable with the safety of the water – but that Americans are vulnerable due to the lack of regulation.

"We have 80,000 different types of chemicals that were being used in and consumed in this country every day. Only 200 have ever been examined, really thoroughly examined, to what effect they have on human life. That needs to change” Sen. Manchin told Al Jazeera correspondent Robert Ray.

Manchin also stressed the need for additional federal testing to determine what harm chemicals may pose to people.

Even 10 days after the spill – as local water authorities said flushing pipes had made water safe for anyone with the exception of pregnant women – taps still have the characteristic black-licorice odor of the chemical MCHM. Many people remain afraid to drink the water, which has sent hundreds to emergency rooms complaining of rashes and nausea after drinking or even touching it.

"My throat burned, I felt congested in my chest and I had a splitting headache,” local resident Karen Ireland told Al Jazeera.

"We are still getting complaints from various residents … that they are still smelling the chemical in their water stream,” said Lt. Paul Williams of the fire department in Marmet, a town outside Charleston.