Compton, Willowbrook residents dealing with 'contaminated' water

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Residents in Compton and Willowbrook are angry. They say their water coming out of the tap is dark and rust colored. They can't drink it; they can't bathe in it. They want it fixed now.

"When I see it, I'm depressed. I feel bad because I feel like they are not treating us like human beings," said resident Karen Lewis.

The water in this unincorporated part of the county comes from the Sativa Water District. The service area is about half a square mile and has just 1,600 customers. Attorney Mark Ravis is representing a number of residents who say the water is not safe.

"The company the other day gave some of the residents a chemical called '(Red)-B-Gone.' It's a rust and iron stain remover. They said, 'Just put this in the water, and it will be OK,'" said Ravis.

"All It does is just clear the rust, but it's still in there, and there's more chemicals in there," resident Genoveva Camargo said.

We tried to contact the Sativa Water District, but no one answered the phone, and it is closed on Fridays. Ravis has sent a letter to the governor asking him to declare an emergency to provide drinking water for residents until they can find a permanent solution.

Residents say they no longer want any water from the Sativa Water District. They hope it gets shut down, and they can get water from somewhere else.