The Black Alliance for Peace-Baltimore Condemns Baltimore Water Crisis As Gross Negligence

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October 5, 2023—The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) condemns Baltimore City’s Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore City’s City Council President Nick Mosby, the entire Baltimore City Council, Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW), and Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) for their gross negligence in handling the Cryptosporidium parasite in the Druid Hill water supply contamination crisis.

Five days ago, a “routine” test of the Druid Lake Reservoir found levels of the Cryptosporidium parasite inside the uncovered reservoir. The drinking water is used by Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Howard County Maryland citizens. City council member Mark Conway posted on X (formerly Twitter) that this microorganism can “potentially cause gastrointestinal issues in those who are immunocompromised, elderly, or children.” The Department of Public Works (DPW) released a statement, just before noon, with the same information and a graphic. No mention of when citizens should look forward to the water being decontaminated, but just continuing the narrative that the parasite will only potentially cause gastrointestinal problems for those who are “immunocompromised, elderly, or children.” They further stated to “please rest assured that the drinking water remains safe for the general public.” Mayor Brandon Scott has released zero statements outside of one quoted post and a couple of re-posts from DPW on X. Zero press releases from the Baltimore City Council, public pages or websites.

The BCHD shared a fact sheet and re-shared the DPW’s FAQ but no information about where to get free water and when this issue could possibly be fixed. It mirrors a similar scene from last September during the E.coli outbreak. The city waited two days to notify the public after water tested positive for contamination, and even then many residents had to find out from friends and neighbors. In March of this year, it was found that Baltimore City officials violated the federal and state public notice rules for E.coli contamination. The parasite found in the water impacts us all, as the “immunocompromised, elderly, and children” are our neighbors, friends and family. In addition, the COVID-19 virus can weaken immune systems, and we are currently in a surge without mask mandates, meaning many citizens could experience health problems from the parasite before they realize they are at risk. Again, Baltimore City officials are performing an illegal act to its citizens and the rest of Marylanders by not properly informing, educating and providing bottled water for its affected citizens. 

This crisis is in a larger context of continued neglect of Baltimore’s aging infrastructure, including in other systems. For example, the city is refusing to expand a program to help residents clean sewage backups again caused by neglect though it is under a modified consent decree by the EPA and has been directed to do so by state and federal regulators. Instead the city chooses to pump money into bloated police programs such as the “Deadly Exchange” program, a massive exchange between the U.S. and Israeli police. Recently, the city is proposing a new $330 million joint training facility for Baltimore’s police and fire departments on West Baltimore’s Coppin State University campus. Even more, routinely half of Baltimore’s discretionary annual budget is allocated to police such that Baltimore spends the most per capita of any major city in the United States on policing. Rather than spending on absurd police budgets that do not increase public safety, resources should be prioritized to fix the city's debilitated infrastructure. 

The city’s trusted government officials and departments are continuing to be neglectful and misleading the majority of its citizens to believe that only a certain community among them would be affected. In Baltimore, resources are only rapidly mobilized to provide cover for police malfeasance. Similar to the government's messaging on COVID, the city downplays the actual dangers of the situation and does little to protect its citizens. Instead, we demand accurate information be dispersed in a timely manner across platforms that reach majorities of city residents, resources, including water, be accessibly distributed across affected neighborhoods, and city resources directed to improve utilities. Given that there was a problem with the water supply last year around the same time, city leadership should also have a preventative plan to address safety and cleanliness of the city’s water supply permanently.

Sources:

DPW Baltimore:

Mayor:

City Council President:

CDC:

BCHD:

BAP Articles:

Baltimore pushes back against EPA order to cover more sewage backups

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/environment/bs-md-baltimore-sewage-backups-disagreement-epa-20230726-cmvjhplddba65ks2k3smnx3sli-story.html

Baltimore Won’t Expand a Program to Help Residents Clean up After Sewage Backups

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25072023/baltimore-sewage-backups-epa/

Aging water infrastructure at the root of Baltimore E. coli contamination, city officials say

The city received positive tests of bacteria in the water system on Saturday, Sept. 3, but residents didn’t learn about the contamination until two days later, on Labor Day morning.

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/local-government/aging-water-infrastructure-at-the-root-of-baltimore-e-coli-contamination-city-officials-say-OWQ4VB3FKREYBBLQPYN6DRBGA4/

A Look at Environmental Justice Issues in Maryland

Black Americans in Baltimore are disproportionately impacted by water affordability issues, as water rates have risen more rapidly than the national average, partly due to failing infrastructure. Studies show that by 2022, the average annual water bill for Baltimore citizens will be triple the national average of 2010 water bills. 

https://climate-xchange.org/2022/01/14/a-look-at-environmental-justice-issues-in-maryland/

BALTIMORE’S CRIME NUMBERS GAME

Baltimore spends the most per capita of any major city in the United States on policing.

https://therealnews.com/baltimore-police-spending-violent-crime-statistics 

Despite 'defunding' claims, police funding has increased in many US cities

An ABC analysis of state and local police funding and overall violent crime data in the U.S. between 1985 and 2020 found no relationship between year-to-year police spending and crime rates. An analysis by the Washington Post found similar results from 1960 to 2018.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/defunding-claims-police-funding-increased-us-cities/story?id=91511971#:~:text=An%20ABC%20analysis%20of%20state,results%20from%201960%20to%202018.


Banner photo: Baltimore activists protest for the human right to water (courtesy peopledemandingaction.org, David Card)