Government House said EPA found anomalies in St. Croix water sampling data

Government House said on November 27, 2023, that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had reported anomalies in earlier data that showed elevated lead and copper levels in parts of St. Croix’s water system in mid-October.

At the weekly briefing, Communications Director Richard Motta said Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and the territory’s unified command were informed late on November 22, 2023, of the results of EPA sequential testing conducted in early November. Motta said the analysis indicated that concerns about widespread elevated lead and copper levels in the water system might have been unfounded.

Motta said the earlier elevated readings were largely tied to deviations from standard testing protocols. He said the initial sampling focused on meters rather than taps while evaluating discolored water, a method that could have introduced other contaminants into samples. He said those October 13 findings differed from WAPA tests conducted in September under EPA protocols that required sampling at the tap.

Government House said some areas of St. Croix continued to experience water-quality problems, primarily discolored water associated with aging ductile iron pipes.

Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said pediatric blood lead testing on St. Croix was continuing. She said 550 children had been tested and that all results to date were negative or below the level of concern.

Encarnacion also urged residents to cooperate with outreach workers surveying how public water is used and how the water-quality emergency affected residents mentally and physically. She also urged residents to get flu vaccinations as flu season began on December 1, 2023.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/government-house-briefing-reveals-epa-sequential-sampling-results-data-anomalies-detected-2/