It isn’t enough that Denmark, South Carolina residents are forced to drink substandard water due to unapproved chemicals in their drinking water. They are also billed at excessive rates with some citizens paying more for their water bills than their mortgages. To add insult to injury, the town will only accept cash payments for the water.
Herrell Law Firm is handling the suit filed on behalf of Denmark two citizens concerned about the quality of their drinking water. The suit alleges that the town of Denmark has injected HaloSan, a chemical rarely used in drinking water, for more than ten years without the knowledge of most area residents.
Since HaloSan has never been approved by the EPA there are important questions that remain to be answered concerning the health of local residents. So much so, that Clemson University regulators ordered Denmark to discontinue its use of the chemical in the summer of 2018.
The suit also alleges that the community’s water supply is contaminated with copper and lead and that Denmark is “unlawfully collecting excessive amounts for poisonous water that is often never used.”
However, town and state officials have test results showing the city’s water to be compliant with safe lead and copper limits for drinking water. The city goes on to state that while the EPA did not approve HaloSan for drinking water, it has been deemed safe by a national certifying agency.
In a community meeting, drawing approximately 75 attendees, taking place on Voorhees College campus, attorneys from the Harrell firm, handling the second lawsuit against Denmark and the Sellers-Wilson Group (the firm who filed a lawsuit against Denmark one week prior) laid out their cases against the city and encouraged concerned citizens to join in with legal actions of their own.
In fact, the two firms are seeking class action status which would allow them to seek reimbursements of the fees area residents paid for water that was not suitable.
Sellers, who filed the initial claim, went on to say that the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control should be liable in this instance because they told the city it was acceptable to use HaloSan in the water.
His words to the audience in attendance were simple, informing the audience that he believes they are entitled to have the funds they’ve paid the city of Denmark for water over the past ten years returned to them.
