Tap water arsenic scare at Manhattan housing complex
NEW YORK - Residents of the New York City Housing Authority's Jacob Riis Houses in Manhattan spent part of the Labor Day holiday weekend picking up cases of water due to a concern about arsenic in the tap water.
NYCHA said it learned Friday night that water tests showed unsafe arsenic levels. However, on Monday the mayor's office said further testing showed a different result.
"Since Saturday, we have conducted additional, more precise testing at both the source and where water is delivered to apartments, and everything previously thought to be positive for arsenic has, so far, now tested negative," a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. "While these results are promising, the health and safety of New Yorkers are our top priorities, which is why the mayor has ordered additional testing to be conducted to be absolutely certain the water is safe to drink."
The spokesperson said authorities are waiting for test results from more than 100 additional water delivery points.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we are still advising Riis Houses residents not to drink or cook with the water in their buildings, and we are continuing to provide clean water for anyone who needs it," the spokesperson said.
Arsenic ingested through drinking water can cause cancer, diabetes, and developmental disabilities in children, according to the World Health Organization.
Several residents told FOX 5 NY that they weren't properly notified of the danger or the need to avoid using their tap. Skepticism about safety in NYCHA housing runs high among residents. In recent years, they were told lead contamination wasn't a problem only to find that safety reports had been falsified.
That scandal resulted in the appointment of a federal monitor, who is now also looking into the arsenic crisis and has asked NYCHA to retain all records related to arsenic testing.
"NYCHA already retains all of our documents and records," NYCHA told FOX 5 NY in a statement. "We will continue to be transparent with the public throughout this process."
The Jacob Riis complex, located on about 12 acres in the East Village, is home to about 2,600 people.
With FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers and Stephanie Bertini.