LA Council may do something about lead contamination in Watts

By JOSE HERRERA

Following a study that found alarming levels of lead in drinking water in homes in the Watts area, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday instructed the Department of Water and Power and the city’s Housing Authority to investigate and verify the levels of lead contamination and make any necessary repairs.

Council members voted 10-0 in favor of a motion introduced by Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents the 15th District encompassing the Watts area.

The Housing Authority will also create a strategy to communicate with residents about the progress being made on the issue.

LAST WEEK: High levels of lead found in Watts drinking water prompts call for immediate action

“Watts is a beautiful, fantastic neighborhood, but sadly, it’s also one of California’s most polluted neighborhoods, according to CalEnviroScreen (a data tool from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment),” McOsker said. “The study done by the Better Watts Initiative highlighted significant levels of lead in the tap water of several homes, particularly in the public housing developments.”

The councilman said the Housing Authority, DWP and Mayor Karen Bass’ office have “all leaned in” to address the issue, though he acknowledged that their actions come “too late.”

McOsker said city personnel had already mobilized prior to his motion, which he introduced last week. His office, the DWP and the Housing Authority have held informational meetings in the evenings for Watts residents, in particular those living at public housing overseen by the city.

In 2016, the Watts Labor Community Action Committee launched the Better Watts Initiative, a collaborative for environmental justice in Watts. Over the course of four months, volunteers — residents of the area as well as students from UCLA and USC — gathered more than 500 water samples throughout the neighborhood.

The initiative published a study that showed 21 water samples contained lead concentrations at various levels. About five of these samples contained lead at a much higher level than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems normal, a level of 15 parts per billion. Higher levels require mandatory infrastructure repairs and public notifications under the agency’s guidelines.

Researchers detected lead in public housing overseen by L.A.’s Housing Authority such as Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens and Imperial Courts.

Courtney Harris, a spokesperson for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, said the agency will work with the utility and community representatives to conduct testing at its housing developments in Watts, as well as another housing development, Gonzaque Village.

“Our priority is the safety, health, and well-being of our residents,” Harris said in a statement. “HACLA takes residents’ concerns seriously and is prepared to take all appropriate steps as needed.”

In 2016, HACLA participated in a detailed water quality study at Jordan Downs conducted by the DWP, which did not identify any issues.

Danielle Hoague, research director of the Better Watts Initiative and a PhD student at UCLA, told City News Service that the latest study was conducted in response to community concerns. She recounted how volunteers collected bottles filled with brown, black and yellow water from public housing developments. According to their research, the average home in Watts is about 76 years old, and about 88% of housing was built before 1985 when lead pipes were banned in the state.

She applauded the city’s swift response in light of the study and confirmed that her group has met with Bass’ office, the DWP and the city’s Housing Authority. The initiative has also been working with McOsker’s office.

The study also noted that about 32% and 67% of Watts residents are Black and Latino, respectively, which is another reason cited for concern.

“… Black and brown people are the most impacted by environmental justice issues or environmental racism,” Hoague said. “Lots of residents are constantly left behind, which is why we took it upon ourselves to just study Watts because it’s a disadvantaged community.”