It feels like the Flint water crisis all over again. In January 2016, California residents from Watts, a South Los Angeles city, wery were exposed to six-hours worth of untreated well water. And many residents are just finding out about it -- months later.
According to the County of Los Angeles' Public Health:
Water—particularly water drawn from sources near populated or industrialized areas—also frequently contains a variety of chemical impurities. Hazardous household waste like paint thinner or antifreeze that is improperly disposed of can migrate from disposal sites and contaminate water sources; pesticides applied to crops can be carried to lakes and streams after a heavy rain. Some water impurities cause significant health problems. High levels of the bacteria E. coli have been linked to gastrointestinal illness; high levels of arsenic have been tied to cancer.
Antifreeze? Paint thinner? Pesticides? E. coli? Arsenic? Cancer?
Inexcusable.
Five schools in the Watts community are also dealing with yellow, murky water in the schools' taps and fountains. Does this sound suitable for developing schoolchildren?
This isn't a first world problem -- clean water is a basic human right. It's downright inexcusable that Los Angeles residents have to deal with yellow, cloudy and possibly contaminated water. Sign and share this petition urging California's State Water Resources Control Board to clean up Los Angeles' water supply now.
Photo Credit: Shaylor
