Residents in St Croix sue gov't over water contaminated with lead and copper
Published:Thursday | November 30, 2023 | 9:36 AM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A group of residents have sued a public utility company in the United States Virgin Islands after authorities there reported finding high levels of lead and copper in the tap water on St Croix.
The report caused panic and forced tens of thousands to rely on bottled water.
The class-action lawsuit, which is expected to be served in the coming days, accuses the US territory's Water and Power Authority and Seven Seas Water Corporation of improper monitoring and failing to provide safe water, among other things.
Andrew Smith, the public utility's CEO, condemned the lawsuit on Wednesday.
He said the agency acted swiftly and transparently after the test results became available and that officials are still working to improve water quality in St Croix.
“We … are disappointed that amidst these challenging circumstances, there are those who seek monetary gain by exploiting the evolving situation impacting the people of St Croix,” he said in a statement.
Seven Seas Water Corporation, a Florida-based company that runs a plant on St Croix and provides water to the public utility for distribution, did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Lee J. Rohn, whose firm filed the lawsuit last week, said in an interview Wednesday that her clients have children whose blood tests show high levels of lead in their system.
“It would be narrow-minded at best to limit this to some idea that somebody is looking for monetary gain,” she said.
“What people are looking for is justice.”
The investigation into the state of tap water in St Croix began in late September, following complaints of reddish-brown water on the island of more than 50,600 people.
In late October, the local government announced that officials found high levels of lead and copper and warned people not to drink their tap water.
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