Flint Crisis Has Locals Questioning Safety Of Their Water

by Anita Oh

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has many here in Philadelphia concerned about the safety of their water.

Allen Sion refuses to drink Philadelphia tap water.

"We call it Schuylkill Punch. It's disgusting," Allen said. "The water's clear, but it tastes kind of 'sewagey'. It's pretty nasty."

He relies on bottled brands, never the kind that flows freely from the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, which is then filtered and treated through a multi-stop process before it ever gets to you. And although many recognize Philadelphia water cannot be compared to that of Flint's, some are still skeptical of the tap.

"Unless it comes from the sky, don't trust it," Alexander Bach said. "There are too many man-made things it goes through to get to us."

Abu Bakr says he boils his tap water before he drinks it.

But, city officials say Philadelphia drinking water consistently exceeds all federal standards, plus it's tested daily, sometimes multiple times.

Debra McCarty, the Philadelphia Water Commissioner issued a release that reads in part, "Our hearts go out to the residents of Flint and we wish to assure our customers—and our city's leadership— that Philadelphia Water holds its pledge to provide safe, high quality water as its most sacred bond with our citizens. We view protection of public health as a core part of our mission and work closely with the Philadelphia Department of Health, in addition to participating in research conducted by national water research foundations. We have a stellar track record of providing reliable, top quality water that meets or does better than all federal standards for public health, including compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule."

For other residents, the Water Department's efforts are enough.

"I mean, water is water," Sherrod Lee said. "If I'm thirsty, I'm going to drink the water, if it's bottled or if it's tapped."