Government

St. Croix Water Quality Unified Command Praying For Good News But Planning for Worst Possible Outcome

Members of the St. Croix Water Quality Unified Command has said they have already taken the initiative to “plan for the worst and prepare” in the event that additional water samples sent to Puerto Rico for lead and copper testing return positive results. Results of ten samples collected on October 20th are expected within the coming days, said VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen, who during a press conference on Tuesday addressed continued concerns over water quality in St. Croix. Now more than a week since elevated levels of harmful heavy metal contaminants were discovered in water samples taken from several locations on St. Croix, concerns are still rife. The Unified Command has promised full  transparency to the public, stating that “any samples returning back positive will be considered a public health issue.” Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said that while a hotline is in place to support members of the public who are concerned about the impact of pipe-borne water on their heal...