The Milwaukee Black Panthers began a leafletting campaign to inform citizens about lead laterals last week. (Pictured: Kevin Hussey)
The Milwaukee Black Panthers are fed up about the city’s effort to inform citizens about lead water pipes. So they decided to do something about it. The group began a leafletting campaign last week in front of Mayor Tom Barrett’s house. Their main goal? Distribute information about lead in the water to every home in every aldermanic district in the City of Milwaukee.
“Accountability starts at the top,” said Milwaukee Black Panthers leader Darryl "King Rick" Farmer. “We started at the Mayor’s house, and now we’re making our way down.” The leaflet says “this house has lead water pipes,” and “lead poisons kids,” at the top of it. It lists Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton’s phone number as well, along with information on how to receive free water filters from KINGFISHmke, a community advocacy website who helped produce the leaflets. The Freshwater for Life Action Coalition also helped produce the leaflets.
There are approximately 77,000 properties in the city that have lead service lines. The city says that “lead is often present in drinking water because the service line connecting the cast iron water main to the property meter and interior plumbing may contain lead.”
Milwaukee Black Panthers leader Darryl "King Rick" Farmer
Even though lead levels have decreased by more than 50% since 1996, the city has still not appropriately handled many cases of elevated levels of lead in children. A Wisconsin Department of Health Services report found that many children with elevated levels of lead were not given the appropriate level of care by the Milwaukee Health Department. Other problems regarding the Health Department’s lead prevention program led to former health commissioner Bevan Baker’s resignation last January.
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“We’re just informing citizens to let them know the damage that could be done to their children and families,” said Kevin Hussey, who said he is not able to afford a water filter for him or his children. “Basically, it’s not on their radar right now. We have to get out and tell the people about it.”
Although the city does offer free water filters for residents whose property has a lead service line, in order to apply the city says you have to have one of the following in the home: “A child under age 6, a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, or a woman who may become pregnant.” The city does offer a list of acceptable water filters on their website if you don't meet their requirements—they range from $20 for a pitcher-style filter, or over $300 for a counter-top style filter.
Mayor Barrett did allot $20 million dollars for “reducing lead risks and abating lead problems” in his 2019 proposed city budget. $7 million will go towards removing lead paints from older homes, while he promises to remove 1,000 lead service lines with the money. A Common Council vote for the budget is set to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 13. However, Farmer said this number “a drop in the bucket.”
Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton announced late last month that the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office is investigating claims of a past cover-up at the Milwaukee Health Department regarding their lead prevention program. When hearing of the Black Panther’s campaign, he said he believes that they should focus their efforts on areas where people have direct exposure to lead.
“Property with old housing that has the presence of lead paint in those homes… that’s where the correlation is,” said Ald. Hamilton, saying that the city has data proving this point. He did add that there are certain instances when pipes have been disrupted where you see a spike in lead poisoning.
However, Farmer says this issue remains “unbearable and intolerable.” He said the Black Panthers will continue their efforts for “however long it takes.” “They can spend, between a stadium and a trolley system, over half a billion dollars, but they can't find a little funding to help this issue,” said Hussey.
You can find out if your property has a lead service line here.
