In the CMGT’s Executive meeting on March 16, CEO Layalee shared this disturbing info from uselessplastic Instagram about water privatization.
“Nestle Waters pumped almost 79 million gallons of water from the area surrounding Flint, Michigan in 2016, and paid just $200 to the state to do so. They made $7.4 billion in bottled water sales alone that same year.”
Flint, Michigan is where the clean water crisis happened in 2014 after the drinking water for the city was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.
CBSNews (3/23/2023), Michigan still dealing with fallout from Flint water crisis 9 years later; Plus new water worries.
On March 20, MCC (Muslims Community Center) Green Team member, Rohina shared the following article in the WhatsApp group:
NBC Chicago (3/20/2024), Nearly 70% of children in Chicago are exposed to lead-contaminated water: Study.
Here are more news about lead issue in Chicago’s drinking water:
- Stanford Medicine (3/18/2024): Many Chicago children exposed to lead in tap water, study estimates.
- Chicago Sun Times (3/20/2024): Chicago, take the lead on replacing lead pipes.
- AP (7/8/2023): Here’s why there is still so much lead pipe in Chicago.
- NPR (11/23/2022): New report finds ‘shocking’ levels of lead in Chicago water.
- Chicago Tribune (3/19/2021): Brain-damaging lead found in tap water from most Illinois communities during the past 6 years, Tribune analysis finds.
Back in 2019, the CMGT (Chicago Muslims Green Team) had a table at IMAN’s Farmer Market in Chicago Lawn, southwest side Chicago neighborhood. We helped a researcher from Virginia Tech to share free lead-test kits to the residents. Our campaign at that time was, “What’s in Your Water?”
Here are pictures from our activities.
This lead-contamination in Chicago drinking water may motivate many Chicagoans to buy water bottles which contributes to the amount of plastic waste. It also bring lots of profit for businesses on water privatization.
In March 2021, to commemorate the World Water Day, the CMGT published an article, Water as Traded Commodity from Muslims’ Perspective, written and edited by our volunteers Caroline and Kaylee.
The article discussed the answer to “What does water mean to me?”, the issue of water supplies in Chicago, the value of water from Muslim’ perspective, and reminders from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), why and how we should save water and protect the water resources for the benefits of all.
It is no doubt that there are so many things we need to do to ensure the access of clean water for our communities’ health benefits, to protect our water resources, and to reduce bottled water plastic waste.
One of the solutions is to install water filter. Here is the recommendation from The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) on Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce Lead.
We hope that our mosques or Islamic Centers will participate in raising awareness on this issue and installing water filters for our communities.
