Is The Newark Water Crisis the New Flint?
Like the case in Flint, Mich., residents of Newark, NJ, cannot trust their tap water sources for fear of lead poisoning, and the city has been asked to provide—first filters, now bottles of water.
The New Jersey city of Newark is undergoing an increasingly similar situation to that of Flint, Michigan: lead pipes are contaminating the water and people are falling ill. In an act of desperation, the city has been giving out water bottles after water filters proved an inadequate solution.
After many became sick from the Newark city water, government officials denied that the city had a widespread health crisis on its hands. After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wrote the city a letter demanding officials address the city’s water health, so officials have sought other means of solution.
Newark’s population of 285,000 received some 40,000 free water filters earlier this year. Yet, the filters proved a meager temporary solution to the issue after tests were run, proving that they simply do not remove enough lead from the source.
“We are unable at this time to assure Newark residents that their heath is fully protected when drinking tap water filtered through these devices,” said the E.P.A. letter in reference to city-issued water filters.
Now, without acceptable pipes or adequate water filters, Newark officials have promised to give out bottled water to those with lead pipes—many of whom are impoverished individuals and people of color (much like the population of Flint).
For more information regarding this ongoing health crisis, refer to the New York Times article or NPR article about this issue.