Mayor’s office says latest test results show “no discernable amount” of arsenic in water at Jacob Riis Houses

NEW YORK – New York City officials released an update overnight about the ongoing water problems at the Jacob Riis Houses in the East Village. 

A new statement issued just after midnight said, in part, “All original water delivery points that were previously thought to test positive for arsenic have been retested and found to be negative.”

Last Friday, test results showed arsenic in the tap water at the NYCHA  housing complex. Residents were told not to drink or cook with it and given bottled water.

On Monday, newer results showed the water tested negative for arsenic. 

“We have now also received results from the approximately 140 additional sites… and can conclude based on these test results that there is no discernable amount of arsenic in the water at Riis Houses,” the latest statement continued. 

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and tenants blasted the mayor and public housing agency Wednesday for their handling of the situation. 

“If someone tells you, ‘Whoa, we found arsenic. We’re not sure, hold on,’ and then you don’t hear anything else, that doesn’t make any sense,” Williams said. “NYCHA immediately needs to set up a time where the tenants can sit and ask them questions.”  

“I voted for him, my community voted for him, so he should be out here,” Tenant Association President Daphne Williams said about Mayor Eric Adams.

The city says ongoing tests continue to produce negative results, but residents should still avoid drinking or cooking with the tap water until all testing is complete.

See the full statement from the mayor’s office: 

We continue to receive encouraging results from water tests at Riis Houses. All original water delivery points that were previously thought to test positive for arsenic have been retested and found to be negative. We have now also received results from the approximately 140 additional sites, both at the source and at the point of delivery, and can conclude based on these test results that there is no discernable amount of arsenic in the water at Riis Houses.

We also received new, belated results, late today, from the initial vendor that was found to have provided questionable results, suggesting the possible presence of Legionella bacteria, but we suspect these results are inaccurate. Legionella cannot be spread through drinking water. Additionally, we are actively reviewing our Legionella surveillance data and have found no reported or confirmed cases of Legionella at Riis Houses over the last 12 months.

We have been and will continue to be transparent about the information we receive every day, as the health and safety of residents remain our top priorities. We are continuing to approach the situation with an extreme level of care, and that is why we have flushed the water in the complex and are continuing to wait on additional test results that we initiated with a new vendor. We want to fully analyze all test results before making any recommendations. Out of an abundance of caution, we are continuing to ask Riis Houses residents not to drink or cook with the water in their buildings until all test results are returned. In the meantime, we are continuing to provide clean water for anyone who needs it.