St. Croix tap water remains unsafe to drink as US Virgin Islands offer short-term solutions

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — With no date in sight of when it will be safe to drink tap water again on the island of St. Croix, officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands have announced they would distribute water filters and provide free lead and copper testing as they work on long-term solutions. The newest measures were unveiled at a virtual town hall held late Wednesday, months after people in St. Croix complained about red and brown water coming out of their taps. The issue prompted the U.S. Virgin Islands to declare a state of emergency in November after an initial investigation found high levels of lead and copper. Subsequent federal studies found that lead levels at people’s homes were significantly lower than those reported previously at distribution meters.