In 2003 and 2004 tap water in many Washington, D.C. homes had hundreds of times the lead levels considered safe, and this may have caused injury to children residing in the District of Columbia. The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority was apparently aware of the rising lead levels problem for a long time before they told authorities-perhaps as early as 2001 (reported by the Washington Post).

The D.C. Department of Health and EPA were made aware of the high lead levels in 2003 but did not warn residents or suggest that they drink bottled water. An independent study shows that 42,000 infants and fetuses in the District of Columbia were put at a high risk of irreversible brain damage during Washington, D.C.’s water crisis in 2004. The D.C. Council is now asking the inspector general to investigate whether D.C. WASA should have looked harder for a correlation and whether it negligently and intentionally misled the public. The water agency had gone on record saying that there was no evidence that the elevated lead levels in the water impacted children’s health.

The D.C. WASA (D.C. Water and Sewer Authority) and perhaps the D.C. Government underestimated the danger to children in order to avoid blame and legal responsibility. It has been known for decades that exposure to elevated levels of lead is extremely dangerous to children. That is why lead paint and lead in household products such as toys is strictly regulated. Children injured by exposure to the lead in the drinking water have legal rights, and our law firm can help. Our qualified personal injury attorneys in Silver Spring can bring a lead paint lawsuit against those responsible on behalf of our clients.

If you believe that your child has been injured and/or exposed to lead paint poisoning, and/or if you live in Washington, D.C. and your child has brain damage, call us for a free consultation at (888) 213-8140. There is no attorney fee if there is no recovery.