Catching Up on the Flint Water Crisis and its Effects

Flint residents began to remark that the water smelled and tasted bad, causing questions about safety, thus began the Flint Water Crisis.

Settled deep within Michigan lies the town of Flint, a city that was once home to the biggest division of General Motors. It was once a bustling city that could support and sustain itself, until the 80s, when the plant experienced a great deal of downsizing and the economy went rapidly downhill.

Underlying Causes of the Flint Water Crisis

In 2011, it was determined that the state of Michigan would take over the city’s finances and therefore would be creating a new pipeline to deal with the water fund issues. The idea was to deliver water from Lake Huron into Flint’s homes and businesses.

However, while this pipeline was being created, the city began using the water from the Flint River as their source for drinking water. This type of action is not unusual, as many areas depend on local bodies of waters to provide their homes with water. However, there are serious filtration protocols in place in order to ensure that the water is safe for the townspeople.

The Crisis Begins

The official switch took place in April of 2014, and by the end of the year, there were dangerous amounts of chemicals being found in the water, causing several severe boil water advisories in Flint neighborhoods. Not only were high levels of chlorine, E.coli, and other bacteria found in the water supply, but more chlorine is added to the water to protect from further deterioration.

The GM plant in the area stopped using the water due to very high chlorine levels being considered dangerous to the engine parts, and the city made an agreement to pump water in from Lake Huron for $400,000. Eventually, city officials determined this solution not to be cost-effective and deemed the water safe for human consumption. However, elder townspeople were encouraged to speak with their physicians before drinking the water.

Over time, residents started to emerge with stories of their discolored water and their unhealthy children. It seems, the kids were developing skin disorders and varying degrees of sickness. Unhealthy amounts of chlorine and “cancer-causing toxins” were found to be present in the water, in addition to high levels of lead. The Environmental Protection Agency asserts that there is a limit of fifteen parts per billion of lead in potable water.

Dangerous Aspects of the Flint Water Crisis

It is considered highly dangerous for human beings to consume water with a higher rate of lead, but Flint residents were finding up to one hundred and four parts per billion in their tap water. Later tests confirmed nearly 400 parts per billion of lead. After these test results, the City Council voted to abandon the use of river water, but they were overruled by the state-appointed manager, and the river water stayed.

As time went on, the water in Flint was deemed similar in composition to hazardous waste, and in October of 2015, the decision was made to return to the Detroit water system. The residents were given a head’s up that it would take quite a while for the system to fully flush. Eventually, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the Flint government, and the National Guard was brought in to distribute clean drinking water.

The Current Situation

These days, a trial is well underway for Nick Lyon, the Director of Health and Human Services, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct. However, there may be a small issue concerning what should have been an ironclad case, one of the researchers who determined the level of lead is questioning the findings of another researcher.

As a result, the defense is clamoring to get the skeptical researcher on the witness stand for them. It’s hard to believe that a country such as the United States should be battling with the struggle of undrinkable water, but here we are. Flint residents are still battling health issues, lawsuits are happening, and no one wants to take the blame.