A story released recently by Al Jazeera America revealed that residents in Louisiana’s impoverished northeast have reason to be concerned about the tap water. Specifically, because the tap water turns a milky brown after running for a while due to iron sediment in the pipes, one resident remarked that she is “scared to take a bath” and the water is actually too toxic to even wash your car with.
In the midst of this crisis—quite unbelievably—these residents are being hit with high water bills at the same time as having to purchase copious amounts of bottled water just to get by each day with the necessities.
These days, it seems that we see this pattern somewhat regularly: a catastrophe hitting an impoverished community that cannot fight back, leaving them with limited resources. Specifically, St. Joseph—in the heart of Tensas Parish—has a history of being home to the highest rates of unemployment and impoverishment in the state. And for those born after the year 2000, avoiding the drinking water was just something they grew up hearing as routine instruction; in fact, some have said “they’ve never [even] known clean water.”
A Tap Water Misleading in the Public
Still, the Environmental Protection Agency and state officials insist that the water is safe to drink, while a majority of people are still bathing and brushing their teeth with bottled water, regardless.
The decrepit pipes also pose a serious risk of bacterial contamination every time they break down. Many remember when a brain-eating amoeba was found in state water systems last year. In fact, the last detailed bacterial analysis of St. Joseph’s water was done in 2013, and it showed 32 times the EPA-recommended level of iron and 9 times the acceptable level of manganese (note: EPA calls these merely “aesthetic” effects that it need not regulate). Sadly, the reality is very similar to what Flint, Michigan residents are currently dealing with.
And it’s by no means limited to St. Joseph or just water contamination systems: the state health officer himself admonished that water discoloration due to the presence of iron is a common complaint across the entire state of Louisiana and the water leaks in St. Joseph have also started to erode nearby levees, potentially leading to more flooding issues.
Solutions Just One Step Away
What’s even more frustrating to residents is that there is $6 million waiting to specifically be spent on water line repairs, but it’s currently being withheld allegedly because Mayor Brown has failed to submit the financial audit on time. St. Joseph is in dire need of a new water distribution system, since the current one was installed in the 1930s. Every time that the system needs to be shut down for repairs (and then restarted), iron and manganese sediment is injected into the water flow, making the water rusty.
Public & Environmental Health Attorneys
It is unconscionable that in so many communities, federal, state and local environmental laws are often violated in order to cheaply pollute, often contaminating water systems. We at Harrell & Nowak have spent years litigating to protect communities using our country’s strongest environmental laws. If you live in Louisiana and have been affected by lead poisoning, give us a call and let us discuss your case with you at no charge.