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Chicago activists call for water infrastructure overhaul after shocking report
Advocates are pushing for Chicago to improve the infrastructure for water in response to a shocking report that found almost 130,000 children were exposed to toxic lead through drinking water.
CHICAGO - Advocates are urging Chicago to enhance its water infrastructure following a startling report.
The report revealed that nearly 130,000 Chicago children were exposed to toxic lead through drinking water, constituting 70 percent of the city's children under the age of six.
Moreover, the research underscores racial disparities.
"We want to be able to make sure drinking water to our residents. Unfortunately, the only way we are able to do that is to be able to replace lead pipes," said Alderman Lamont Robinson, 4th Ward.
Areas with higher populations of Black or Hispanic residents are less likely to be tested for lead and more likely to have contaminated water.