Aubrey Searle

Dr. Candace Reno

Bio 1010 T-TH 8:00- 10:00 am

7/3/18

Water Crisis in America; Flint Michigan

The water crisis in Flint Michigan began in 2013 when the city of Flint, because of budget cuts,

had to discontinue getting their water from Detroit and residents began getting water from the Flint River.

The residents of Flint were uncomfortable with the water they were receiving as the water was brown in

color and poor in taste; officials found out that after months of testing the water that the lead levels were

well above what was legal to be distributed to the public to be consumed. They knew about the problem

for months but chose to stay silent about it. The alarm bells were only to be rung after an official leaked

an official document, college professors began testing the water themselves, and a string of pediatricians

began to realize that the lead levels in children were increasingly high.

In 2013 because Flint Michigan was in an economical crisis, the local government was looking

for ways to save itself some money. Officials decided to stop receiving water from Detroit and instead

chose to join up with a local water group that received its water from a nearby lake called Lake Huron; in

the meantime, the facility to retrieve water from Huron was being built and would not be completed for

three years. Flint needed water as it had already ended its contract with Detroit, so officials decided to get

the water from Flint River using lead pipes. By switching water providers from Detroit to the Flint River

officials opted for an un-controlled and untreated water source “Omitting orthophosphate, which controls

metal corrosion, caused lead embedded in the pipes to leach into the water.” (Dengler) studies have been

conducted in Flint that show the water didn’t contain any sort of chemical such as orthophosphate to help

with preventing lead corrosion in the pipes. Flint municipal officials and MDEQ (Michigan Department

of Environmental Quality) Began receiving reports that the water was above the legal levels for
consumption and chose to sit on the information for 18 months while the public was being poisoned,

which is something that I can not support. I also cannot support big politicians using Flint or national

emergencies to gain constituents and then leaving them in the dirt when their campaign is over, because

Flint still doesn’t have clean drinking water to this day.

So why is lead in the water such a big deal? Lead is considered a neurotoxin, in adults it can

cause nerve disorders and even memory loss; for children the side effects can be much worse as they are

still maturing, lead poisoning can cause anything from developmental delays, seizures, behavior

disorders, and in extreme cases death. “Blood lead levels as low as 10 micrograms per deciliter are

associated with harmful effects on children’s ability to learn. Very high blood lead levels of 70

micrograms per deciliter can cause devastating health consequences” (Stark) 707 micrograms of lead per

liter of water were found in one of the homes in Flint Michigan by a team led by researcher Marc

Edwards. Lead poisoning takes years to take effect, physiologically it inhibits children’s bodies from

absorbing minerals essential in neurological development such as iron, zinc, and calcium. Flint Michigan

is currently trying to set up infrastructure to treat the children who have high BLLs (Blood Lead Levels),

such as setting up welfare, nutrition, and mental health programs which is something I absolutely support.

This national emergency has called attention to the importance to the safety of our drinking water, and the

way we care for our people.

Flint still doesn’t have clean drinking water we need to take care of the existing problem, and

make sure that nothing like this happens again regardless of the cost. Taking care of any future issues that

may arise for children and adults alike may it be in restitution or government assistance. I support giving

more infrastructure and support to the people of Flint Michigan. Due to lack of education about the issue

there has been a snail pace movement to get anything done about the situation. I do not support the

government dragging their feet to get to get what they need done and then using Flint to gain constituents

in the polls during elections. It’s a hot button-issue that people can talk circles around all day, but at the

end of that day these are still our people we need to take care of.
Bibliography:

Dengler, Roni. “Study Confirms How Lead Got into Flint's Water.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 1

Aug. 2017, www.pbs.org/newshour/science/study-confirms-lead-got-flints-water.

Raphelson, Samantha. “Flint Residents Confront Long-Term Health Issues After Lead Exposure.” NPR,

NPR, 31 Oct. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/10/31/561155244/flint-residents-confront-long-term-

health-issues-after-lead-exposure.

Sanburn, Josh, et al. "The Toxic Tap. (Cover Story)." Time, vol. 187, no. 3, 2/1/2016, p. 32. EBSCOhost,

libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=11

2415442&site=eds-live.

Stark, Sharon W., RN, APRN, DNSc and Randall L., PhD Milstein. "Lead Poisoning." Magill’s Medical

Guide (Online Edition), 2013. EBSCOhost,

libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89

093463&site=eds-live.