Wicomico NAACP stands with Pittsville

Mary Ashanti

President, Wicomico NAACP

Over the past couple weeks I’ve been enraged to hear of the water crisis in Pittsville. Not only have residents had to deal with unclean water, a lack of transparency and accountability within town government has made matters worse.  

The crisis began in mid-April when Pittsville’s water started to turn yellow.  From the beginning, the town was slow to respond to the issue. The town council contacted the Maryland Department of the Environment but then didn’t follow up, leading MDE to falsely believe the issue was corrected. Town officials waited almost a month to begin handing out water to residents. In addition, the delay in circulating information left residents unsettled, which created rumors leading to more confusion and panic.  

Since first releasing information, the Council and Town officials have all told different accounts, and the story continues to change.  Some officials have blamed old pipes and chemicals that were past their expiration date. The Council blamed the former water manager and former staff.   The Council President indicated that it was the fault of the last few water managers. These conflicting stories have once again confused residents and destroyed any remaining credibility with town officials.

After a long few months, the Pittsville Water Crisis appears to be finally coming to a close. However, the Wicomico NAACP wants to assure Pittsville residents that they have our full support in the fight for clean water and transparency in government and that we will continue to push for accountability in local government.