Philadelphia's Water Testing Is 'Worse Than Flint', Guardian Says

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Philadelphia’s water quality testing procedures have been deemed by experts to be worse than Flint, Michigan, the site of a notorious drinking water contamination crisis.

The report came from The Guardian, who says that water quality experts rated the Philadelphia Water Department’s lead-testing as poor.

Documents obtained by the media outlet suggested that authorities have been covering up the extent of lead poisoning and that drinking water is at risk in “every major city east of the Mississippi,” including Philadelphia.

Philadelphia’s city council said they plan to hold hearings on best practices and to comprehensively review how the city tests its water for lead.

“Certainly Flint, Michigan, and your paper has raised concerns that means we need to review the way we do things,” Philadelphia Councilwoman Helen Gym said to the Guardian. “I don’t think Philadelphia is Flint, I don’t think we are doing things at that level. But the water department needs to clarify the practices they employ.”

Water sampling methods used by the city allegedly do not accurately reflect the amount of lead in the water, and may not reveal issues similar to those encountered by Flint.

Many residents in Flint have become ill due to the toxic water, and a state of emergency has been declared there.

Water testing experts say that Philadelphia is worse than Flint, however, because they do not accurately test for the “worst-case” lead levels in homes, and essentially distort results, the Guardian reports.

Although lead levels in the population have reportedly dropped nationwide and in Philadelphia, the city still has a higher than average rate. About 10% of Philadelphia children have blood-lead levels considered “high,” while only 2.5% of children are classified in the “high” category nationally.