Biden Declares EMERGENCY Over Tap Water: Alarming Map Shows US Tap Water Contamination

A chilling map showing polluted tap water across the US has been revealed following President Joe Biden’s declaration of emergency over water safety.

Earlier this month, Biden declared a state of emergency in the US Virgin Islands over contaminated drinking water from lead pipes.

The warning came in October after St. Croix reported extremely high levels of lead and copper in its water.

Locals reported reddish-brown water coming from their taps.

The Environment Protection Agency analyzed samples taken in late September and found that 38 out of 108 have over 15 lead parts per billion.

Several samples were also found to have contained copper levels above the health standard.

Tests by locals suggest that the supply may have up to 100 times the safe limit of lead due to the erosion of old pipes.

Head of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Andrew Smith said his team was “all shocked and surprised by the results,” per the Daily Mail.

Residents have been warned to only drink bottled water and cease use of their taps until further notice.

However, using the water for bathing is still allowed as federal assistance is provided to the region.

A second round of test results is expected in mid-December.

It is not the only area of the US impacted by lead contamination as residents in Benton Harbor, Michigan, were forced to wait months for confirmation that their water filters work.

Over nine million homes across the country still get their water supply from lead pipes, according to the EPA.

The Natural Resources Defense Council released a map of the areas across the country receiving drinking water with the highest amounts of lead contamination.

A study found that Florida has the highest concentration of lead piping.

The NRDC also showed the number of lead service lines per state – every house has a service line as it connects a home to the mains.

It revealed that there are up to 12 million lead pipes bringing drinking water into the homes of up to 22 million people.

The toxic metal can have a huge impact on health as it gradually builds up in the body and can cause huge issues for babies and children.

Lead poisoning can damage the nervous system and the brain which can cause language and speech problems and impede development.

Following the results in the US Virgin Islands, FEMA, the federal emergency management agency has tested a number of children for the toxic metal.

“The territory has also tested more than 350 children, aged 0-6, for lead and there have been no confirmed positive results,” FEMA Director of Public Affairs Jaclyn Rothenberg told TIME.

“FEMA will continue to work closely with the territory and our federal partners to identify and address any unmet needs.”