For more than a year, state health officials and residents of the small town of St. Joseph, Louisiana, have been worried about discolored tap water tied to aging infrastructure, waiting for an audit to free up funds to update the water system.
Last week, the town’s water supply tested positive for high levels of lead and copper in two different locations, which prompted Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to declare a public health emergency and direct residents to use bottled water instead of tap water.
