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. That is far higher than any U.S. state.
“Virtually everyone on the island is getting water from systems that violate testing or reporting requirements,” says Olson, a former lawyer at the Environmental Protection Agency who specialized in drinking water regulation. “It’s sort of a see-no-evil, speak-no-evil kind of situation where, if you don’t test the water as the law requires, you’re not going to know if you have a big problem.” Continue Reading>>