According to data reported by the island’s water systems between January 2015 and March 2018, 97 percent of Puerto Rico’s population is served by a local drinking water system with at least one recent violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s lead and copper testing requirements.
Under the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act, water utilities are required to test for lead and other metals in the water, and to report the results to both consumers and to the federal government, which publishes the data.
But, he says, the federal data make the problem seem worse than it is, because federal law requires that the utility test the drinking water at specific times.
But in Puerto Rico, there isn’t always water to test.
And when the water is off, they don’t test it.
But lead contamination doesn’t have to come from public pipes.
But, she says, public distrust is already so high that transparency about drinking water testing is a good thing, even if the data suggest that drinking water might not be entirely safe.
It would also push states to consolidate systems that are struggling to comply with safe drinking water laws.
Scientists, public health experts, government officials and advocates all agree that Puerto Rico needs serious investment in its drinking water infrastructure.
But, he says, money isn’t the whole answer, because a lot of drinking water testing is done by hand, by actual people.