Over a hundred tort claims filed in Madison County over poor water quality

The Concerned Citizens of Alexandria say that this week they’ve filed more than 150 tort claims against Madison County and two cities over poor water quality.  As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, those documents are the first official step in suing the cities and county.

Individuals filing the claims say water being provided to citizens throughout the county is not healthy and has contributed to growing health complications like kidney impairment and neurological issues.

James Peters runs the Concerned Citizens of Alexandria group.  He believes the source of the contamination is the county’s aging water infrastructure. He says current tort claims are just the beginning, and anticipates the number could go as high as 500.

 “A class action lawsuit is 100% coming ,and we plan on pushing everybody that’s been affected by this water crisis into that class action lawsuit,” said Peters.

Read More: Trailer park residents have water shut off by city despite paying bills

The group said multiple Madison County residents sent water samples to the Hoosier Microbiological Laboratory for testing.  Most of the test results provided to IPR shows the water samples sent in were “bacteriologically unsafe.”

Read More: EPA begins latest round of groundwater tests at Anderson Superfund site

The tort claims are seeking compensatory, consequential and punitive damages in an amount that has yet to be determined.

Madison County and the cities of Alexandria and Anderson did not respond to IPR’s requests for comment.

Thomas Ouellette is an IPR reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu