A recent study in Watts found lead in some tap water samples. The results prompted Mayor Karen Bass to respond and request that more testing be done in the area.

The Better Watts Initiative (BWI) began collecting samples over a four-month period in May 2023. According to the study, researchers discovered 21 samples containing lead among 530 samples collected from verified addresses. The samples were taken from both single-family homes and public housing.

“We tested one unit in each building in the public housing development, so if we found one unit with lead, it’s likely that the rest of the building contains lead as well because they all share common pipes,” said Danielle Hoague, lead researcher for the Better Watts Initiative.

Although the study’s results are not widely disseminated, they still raise concerns, Hoague said.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that families do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. I will do whatever it takes to keep Los Angeles residents safe, including calling the head of the EPA if necessary. HACLA and LADWP will immediately initiate next steps, including testing the drinking water in HACLA units in Watts and coordinating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine the need for additional testing,” Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a statement sent to NBC4.

Yirk Turner, a Watts resident, said he drinks bottled water because he is concerned about the quality of his water. Turner decided to get involved and became part of a community team that helped organize water testing in his neighborhood as part of the Better Watts Initiative.

“It’s bad. As a community, we’re just trying to get help,” Turner said.

NBC4 shared the study with Elaine Bernal, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at CSU Long Beach.

“Although only less than 5% of samples had detectable and elevated lead levels … lead can accumulate in the body, bones and vital organs and persist in the system for 25 to 30 years,” Bernal explained.

In a statement to NBC4, the Los Angeles City Housing Authority wrote: “In the past, HACLA participated in a detailed water quality study at Jordan Downs and other public housing developments in Watts conducted by LADWP. It was determined that there were no contamination issues in HACLA’s plumbing systems.”

The Better Watts Initiative says it is calling for more resources and is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct more testing.

“All Americans have a right to access to clean, safe drinking water, including protection from lead contamination. EPA is working with the Drinking Water Division of the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, to evaluate the data provided by the Watts community and prioritize next steps,” the EPA said in a statement to NBC4.

Click here to learn more about the Better Watts Initiative study and see where the tap water samples were collected.