Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands

Emergency Declaration: President Joe Biden declared an emergency in the U.S. Virgin Islands due to severe lead contamination in the water.

Extreme Lead Levels: Tests in St. Croix revealed lead levels more than 100 times above the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) limits.

Public Health Response: Residents were advised to stop using tap water and switch to bottled water due to the health risks posed by lead contamination.

Questionable Testing Methods: There is skepticism about the accuracy of the test results, as the methods used did not comply with EPA standards, potentially leading to artificially high readings.

Ongoing Investigations and Remediation Efforts: Further investigations are being conducted to accurately assess the situation, and efforts are underway to address and fix the water system's issues, including replacing components that contain lead.