Toxic arsenic levels make tap water unsafe for thousands in New York City

Dangerous levels of arsenic were found in a New York City Public Housing Authority (NYCHA) complex, leaving thousands of affected residents without safe tap water.

The crisis plays out as people in the predominantly Black city of Jackson, Mississippi, have gone without clean drinking water for more than a month, with residents using bottled water for everyday needs like cooking and brushing teeth.

The NYCHA has been handing out bottled water to residents in the wake of the test results, but many have condemned the agency for failing to inform residents of the potentially contaminated water supply.

Tap water in the complex, which contains 19 buildings and has more than 3,700 residents, was first tested by NYCHA in August after several complaints from residents about cloudy, brown water.

But, as first reported by New York-based publication The City, residents were only informed of the arsenic contamination last Friday, despite officials knowing about the test results two weeks earlier.

Last Friday in the late evening, a NYCHA official informed The City that New York City mayor Eric Adams would be handing out bottled water to residents in the complex but would not be responding to press questions.

The NYCHA later that day confirmed to The City that water in the public housing complex had previously tested positive for arsenic, but those test results had reportedly only been confirmed that day.

A spokesperson for Adams also confirmed the positive test result in a subsequent statement to The City.

Exposure to arsenic has been linked to several types of cancer and lower IQ scores in children.

The NYCHA has previously faced intense scrutiny for its mishandling of past complaints, including rats, mold, and other blighted conditions.

The agency was under a US justice department investigation in 2016 about the health and safety of its building developments, including elevated lead levels in the blood of its residents, and it is currently under the oversight of a federal monitor.