The Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously — 10-0 — to demand an immediate investigation by the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) after drinking water samples from the Watts neighborhood were found to contain elevated levels of lead. The discovery has drawn immediate comparisons to Flint, Michigan, where a decade-long water contamination crisis poisoned generations of children, and has put a national spotlight on aging water infrastructure in one of America's largest cities.
According to LAist, a nonprofit organization called Better Watts Initiative studied hundreds of water samples from across the Watts neighborhood and found varying levels of lead in 21 of them, including samples from public housing units. Five of those samples exceeded 15 parts per billion — the threshold at which the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule requires mandatory infrastructure repairs and public notification. The Wednesday vote was 10 to 0, with five council members absent, as LAist reported. The council directed LADWP and HACLA to immediately develop strategies to protect residents living in Watts.
Mayor Karen Bass responded on social media, calling it "absolutely unacceptable for families to not have access to safe, clean drinking water," and confirmed that she had convened leaders from LADWP and the Housing Authority to address the issue. "Testing will be conducted in Watts and at HACLA locations across L.A. We will keep Angelenos safe," the Mayor stated.
The Scale of the Contamination — and the Infrastructure Behind It
The scope of testing that followed the initial disclosure reveals a problem that may be significantly larger than a single building or block. As the Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported, more than 340 water samples from kitchen faucets at Nickerson Gardens and Jordan Downs — two of Watts's major public housing complexes — were tested after Mayor Bass called on DWP and HACLA to investigate. Lead was detected in more than 100 Nickerson Gardens samples and more than 40 at Jordan Downs. Housing officials stated that only five samples measured over 5 parts per billion for lead, and that they had not yet identified a clear trend or source.
The primary suspected source is the aging building plumbing, not the water distribution infrastructure owned by LADWP. LADWP stated in a frequently asked questions document that it does not have lead in its water distribution pipelines or service lines. However, the agency acknowledged that lead can be found in tap water in some homes due to corrosion in older building plumbing or pipes located on private property, including the interior plumbing of HACLA-managed housing units. Many units in Watts were built before 1978 and before 1986, when lead-based paint was banned, and lead service lines were prohibited, respectively. When water sits overnight in aging interior plumbing containing lead solder or lead-containing fixtures, it leaches lead directly into the water drawn from that tap.
Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents Watts, was direct in his assessment. He told the council, "Sadly, for many decades, the Watts community was left to look out for itself, which contributed to the environment today where lead levels are high in local pipes." McOsker added that while no measure of lead in drinking water is acceptable, this was "an alarming level" requiring mandatory infrastructure repairs and public notifications under EPA rules.
| Contamination Data | Detail |
| Samples with lead detected | 21 of hundreds tested by Better Watts Initiative |
| Samples exceeding 15 ppb (EPA action level) | 5 samples |
| Samples at Nickerson Gardens with lead detected | More than 100 |
| Samples at Jordan Downs with lead detected | More than 40 |
| City Council vote | 10-0 (5 members absent) |
| Agencies directed to investigate | LADWP and HACLA |
| Primary suspected source | Aging interior building plumbing |
| Public housing residents affected | 19,000 low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities |
Timothy Watkins, founder of Better Watts Initiative and CEO of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, told the council that while the attention was welcome, the community has dealt with contamination for years. "We also lost a lot of ground, a lot of time that we could have been developing our community," Watkins said. Watkins also argued that the housing authority's framing of the problem around a 5 ppb threshold missed the scientific consensus. "They can detect it down to 1 part per billion, which is still a threat," Watkins said. "They didn't seem to understand that it's the cumulative effect of lead exposure that is the threat."
The Health Stakes — and Why Lead Contamination in a Low-Income Community Is Especially Severe
Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no known safe level of exposure. The CDC lowered its blood lead reference value threshold to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter in 2021 — a recognition that what were previously considered "acceptable" blood lead levels in children were causing measurable cognitive and developmental harm. For children under 6, whose brains are still developing, even low-level lead exposure causes irreversible reductions in IQ, increased impulsivity and aggression, and long-term learning disabilities that affect educational outcomes and lifetime earnings.
The Watts neighborhood's demographics compound the public health risk. With a majority-Black and Latino population, a high proportion of families living below the poverty line, and a housing stock dominated by pre-1978 construction, Watts sits at the intersection of multiple environmental justice risk factors. Residents who are renters in public housing — a population that includes 19,000 low-income families, individuals, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities in HACLA's portfolio — face a particularly difficult situation: they cannot choose to remediate their own building's plumbing, and they are dependent on the landlord — in this case, the city's Housing Authority — to act.
An additional analysis by the Environmental Working Group of LADWP's 2026 water quality data identified a broader picture of contaminants present at levels exceeding EWG health guidelines, including Chromium-6 — the carcinogenic industrial chemical at the center of the Erin Brockovich case — detected at levels above EWG's health guideline of 0.02 ppb, even if below California's more permissive proposed regulatory standard.
Residents concerned about lead exposure should use certified water filters (NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction) on their taps immediately, run cold water for at least 30 seconds before using it for drinking or cooking, never use hot tap water for food or formula, and have their children's blood lead levels tested by a physician, particularly children under 6.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was found in Watts drinking water?
Better Watts Initiative tested hundreds of water samples from across the Watts neighborhood and found varying levels of lead in 21 samples, including from public housing units. Five samples exceeded 15 parts per billion — the EPA threshold that requires mandatory infrastructure repairs and public notifications. Testing at Nickerson Gardens and Jordan Downs found lead in over 140 additional samples from kitchen faucets.
Is there a safe level of lead in drinking water?
No. Both the CDC and the EPA state there is no safe level of lead exposure, particularly for children. The EPA's action level of 15 parts per billion is a regulatory trigger for remediation — not a health safety threshold. The CDC lowered its blood lead reference value in 2021 to acknowledge that even previously "acceptable" levels cause harm.
What did the Los Angeles City Council vote to do?
The Council voted 10-0 to direct LADWP and HACLA to immediately develop strategies to protect Watts residents and investigate the source of the contamination. Mayor Karen Bass also separately directed both agencies to conduct expanded testing across Watts and HACLA locations citywide.
What is causing the lead contamination in Watts?
The primary suspected source is aging interior plumbing in older buildings — lead solder, lead-containing fixtures, and, in some cases, older service connections within buildings constructed before 1986, when lead plumbing components were banned. LADWP has stated its distribution system does not contain lead pipes, but acknowledged lead can leach from building-level plumbing.
What should Watts residents do right now?
Use a water filter certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction on kitchen taps. Run cold water for 30 seconds before using it for drinking or cooking, especially first thing in the morning. Never use hot tap water for drinking, cooking, or baby formula. Ask your pediatrician to test your child's blood lead level, especially if your child is under 6. Contact LADWP's customer service line at 1-800-342-5397 for more information.
