U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Governor Albert Bryan Jr. during his sixth State of the Territory Address Monday announced the lifting of the “No Drink Advisory” he issued for St. Croix’s public water system, after additional rounds of water sampling confirmed no system-wide contamination of lead and copper.
In October, alarming levels of lead and copper were detected in WAPA’s water distribution system by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Reacting promptly, WAPA and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) employed exhaustive measures to validate these findings. Despite WAPA’s consistent compliance with EPA’s testing protocols, which historically showed no system-wide contamination, Governor Bryan issued a “No Drink Advisory” as a precautionary measure.
To access federal assistance, a State of Emergency was declared, allowing for comprehensive reevaluation. The EPA’s sequential testing, adhering to established protocols, revealed significantly lower levels of lead and copper, concluding that there was no system-wide lead and copper contamination of the public water system in St. Croix and instead identifying less than a handful of elevated readings due to localized plumbing fixtures within individual homes.
“We now know that the initial testing used incorrect methodology leading to erroneously high readings,” Governor Bryan said. “Subsequent testing, using proper methodologies that included sampling directly from household faucets, provided accurate and reassuring results.”
Post-EPA report, DPNR and WAPA conducted additional water sampling. These results corroborate the findings of EPA’s sequential testing and WAPA’s regular compliance testing, affirming no system-wide issue of lead and copper contamination in St. Croix’s public water system.
“While system-wide lead and copper contamination is ruled out, we recognize the issue of discolored water experienced by residents in certain areas in St. Croix. WAPA’s ongoing infrastructure projects, such as the completed Clifton Hill waterline rehabilitation on St. Croix and the initiatives in Estates Campo Rico and Hannah’s Rest, are part of our broader strategy to replace old metal pipes with more reliable PVC pipes,” Governor Bryan said.
“As your Governor, I assure you of our unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of our community. We remain vigilant and proactive in upgrading our water infrastructure for the benefit of all residents.”
The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit transparency.vi.gov
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