A recent study in Watts detected lead in some tap water samples. The results have prompted Mayor Karen Bass to respond and ask for more testing to be done in the area.
The Better Watts Initiative (BWI) started collecting the samples in May of 2023 over a four-month period. According to the study, out of 530 samples collected from verified addresses, researchers discovered 21 samples with lead. The samples were taken from both single-family homes and public housing units.
“We tested one unit in each building the public housing developments. So, if we found one unit with lead, it’s likely that the rest of the building could have lead because they all share pipes,” said Danielle Hoague, the lead researcher with the Better Watts Initiative.
Even though the results of the study were not widespread, Hoague said it is still a cause for concern.
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“It is absolutely unacceptable for families to not have access to safe, clean drinking water. I will do whatever it takes to ensure Angelenos are safe including calling the head of the EPA if needed. HACLA and LADWP will take immediate next steps, including testing drinking water at HACLA housing units in Watts and coordinating with the Housing Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assess additional testing needs,” wrote Mayor Karen Bass in a statement sent to NBC4.
Yirk Turner, a Watts resident, said he is drinking from bottled water because he is worried about the quality of his water. Turner decided to get involved and became part of a community team that helped organize the water testing in his neighborhood through the Better Watts Initiative.
“It’s bad. All we trying to do as a community is get help,” said Turner.
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NBC4 shared the study with Elaine Bernal, a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at CSU Long Beach.
“Although only less than 5% of the samples had detectable and excess levels of lead… lead can accumulate in the body, in bones, and vital organs and can last for 25 to 30 years in the system,” explained Bernal.
In a statement to NBC4, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles wrote, “In the past, HACLA participated in a detailed water quality study at Jordan Downs and other public housing sites in Watts, conducted by LADWP, and it was determined that there were no contamination issues with HACLA's plumbing systems.”
The Better Watts Initiative said it’s asking for more resources and for the Environmental Protection Agency to do more testing.
“All Americans deserve access to clean, safe drinking water, including protection from lead contamination. EPA is working with the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water in coordination with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to assess the data provided by the Watts community and prioritize next steps,” said the EPA in a statement to NBC4.
To learn more about the Better Watts Initiative study and to see where the tap water samples were collected from, click here.
