Drinking water in St. Tammany Parish, specifically in residential subdivisions located in Madisonville, Louisiana contains substance(s) that visibly affect the color, purity, and cleanliness of the water, resulting in a condition of turbidity that is totally unacceptable to consumers.  Repeatedly and frequently, household kitchen and bathroom taps yield water that is brown in color, and that forms a dark granular precipitate in the bottom of glass, sink, bathtub, or other container.  Reportedly, plumbing and appliances are contaminated, laundry is soiled, and washed hair, scalp, and skin exhibit the granular pollutant.

The above-described turbid condition of the water affects a substantial geographic area, a large number of people, and has reportedly persisted for years.  We consider this hazardous to both health and property. In fact, the EPA website contains information that water turbidity may inhibit the detection of regulated microbial contaminants, thus increasing the health concerns of consumers. The excessive degree of the turbidity underlines these concerns.  Government, regulators, and water providers must clean up our water.

Up to now, toxicity has apparently been the issue of concern; however, turbidity is the immediate threat to consumers, especially since the EPA has cited the potential for turbidity to inhibit test integrity for microbial infections. Moreover, the thought of ingesting the grainy brown water that flows from our faucets should disgust everyone. No one in the United States should have to accept this brown water containing unknown sediment and dirt as meeting acceptable standards.