A nonprofit in South L.A. has found lead in the tap water of homes in the region, including in public housing units.
Over the course of four months, volunteers with the Better Watts Initiative, the environmental justice branch of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee , fanned out across the neighborhood and gathered more than 500 water samples. The volunteers included residents from the majority Black and Latino neighborhood, as well as students from UCLA and USC. Researchers found lead in 21 of the samples, at varying levels.
The amount of lead in five of the samples exceeded 15 parts per billion, which, the researchers note, is considered a “violation of the detectable safety limit set by the EPA." Just under half the units sampled came from apartments or condos. Another 41% came from single-family homes, and the remainder from multi-family homes.
The units also include public housing. Units at Imperial Courts and Jordan Downs had lead concentrations between 5ppb and 15ppb. The Nickerson Gardens community had levels above 15ppb.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, when water systems reach this level, action is required , including replacing the lines that connect to customers. The agency has also indicated that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Lead poisoning is especially harmful for children, in part because it accumulates more easily in their bloodstream.
Once there, lead puts children under age 6 at risk of brain damage and other neg.