Puerto Rico's Tap Water Often Goes Untested, Raising Fears About Lead Contamination
Carmen Lugo has lived in Puerto Rico her whole life, and her whole life she has feared the water that comes out of her tap.
"When I was a child, we used filters," she says, leaning on the doorjamb with her 11-year-old in front of her and two teenage sons sleepy-eyed behind her on a morning in July.
"The water here," she says, pausing as she purses her lips in a tight smile. She chooses her words carefully. "We want to be in good health," she finally says. "My husband, he buys water from the Supermax," referring to a local grocery store.
Lugo is concerned about contamination. And she's not alone. For decades, the island's water authority has racked up fines and violations for failing to adequately test the tap water for bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants, breeding distrust and potentially contributing to waterborne disease.
"Unfortunately Puerto Rico has the worst record in the U.S. for drinking water safety," says Erik Olson, a senior health policy advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
And it's not just bacteria and viruses. The most recent federal data shows widespread failures to monitor and report another contaminant: lead.
