WASA Should Provide Water Filters

The following are excerpts from a letter Ms. Olson sent by e-mail to WASA Planning Supervisor Jodye Russell (jodye.russell@dcwasa.com) on Wednesday. Ms. Russell had written Ms. Olson that "With regard to your suggestion regarding water filters, WASA does not provide these for customers largely due to concerns about other problems that may be caused if filters are not properly maintained."

Thank you for your prompt response and forwarding my information to the testing hotline.

I am disappointed with the answer regarding filtration systems. Again, I understand that this is not a final decision that you make. However, I do feel it necessary to state that as consumers we are dealing with more than an inconvenience; we are dealing with water that is not fit for human consumption.

You certainly wouldn't buy any food product from the market if it was not fit to eat, so why should we accept water that is not fit and yet still pay full price for it? I would have thought that WASA would be willing to, if not provide the actual filtration system (whatever that may be), then at least deduct the price of water filtration from our bill so that it would be our own responsibility to handle filtration. But to just say that there are potential problems is not an acceptable answer.

If WASA is concerned with legal issues pertaining to the maintenance of filtration systems, I am sure their legal department can come up with a reasonable disclaimer that would absolve them of responsibility for improper use of the filter (to include improper maintenance). Another option is that WASA provide bottled water, or the funding for it, to those with lead levels exceeding the EPA limit. I am sure WASA can negotiate an incredible deal with one of the major bottled water suppliers.

I don't think that waiting is a viable option for the public. Something must be done immediately, especially with the levels that have been quoted.

It would be ideal if we could get everyone's level below the EPA limit, but I am a pragmatist and realize that we all could have lead poisoning before that happened. The short-term answer is to make sure people over the EPA limit have access to filtered water. Without any dispute, that definitely is the responsibility of WASA.

This is not a personal assault, but rather the views of a concerned DC citizen and mother of two small children.

I am mostly concerned about the children, but also about the aging population that are on fixed incomes and do not have access to transportation. There are many on my block. Obviously, testing must first be done, but there are many who trust that the water from their faucet is safe. This is not the case. It does not sound like WASA has exhausted all possibilities for alleviation of this immediate problem. I know that I would like to have more comprehensive answers regarding resolution of this issue other than having to simply place my faith in WASA's good hands. §