Water Crisis: The Tragedy In Flint, Michigan

A tragedy has struck the people of Flint, Michigan. One that has come as a great shock to some, but an inevitable occurrence to others. The government that once elected to switch to the polluted waters of Flint is now scrambling to think of solutions to the destruction it has caused. Regardless of what residents thought about switching their water supply from the Detroit river to the Flint River before, it is something that affects everyone now. The tragedy of the Flint Michigan Water Crisis represents failure to recognize the severity of our environmental impact. Now the people of the city are left to live through it and eventually correct the problem. Flint was having severe problems far before it was brought into the spotlight with the
water crisis. Like many other Michigan cities it was heavily reliant on the auto industry. When the auto industry began to drastically decline, the economy of Flint followed. A chain reaction was started that saw many citizens fleeing the city, and an increase in crime and poverty. According to Sarah Ganim, a writer for CNN, states that “about 40% of residents are below the poverty line.” Something needed to be done to take care of the crime and poverty; however, action needed to be taken on Flint’s financial emergency even more. The city went under control of the state with the sole mission to cut costs in Flint. Representatives from the state looked at the expense of paying the city of Detroit for its water supply from Lake Huron, and decided for the city that it could no longer be able to do this. Thus the idea to save money by diverting pipelines to the nearby Flint river was born.
Residents were taken aback when they first learned of the plans to switch their water supply.
It was clear to them just by looking at the murky water, that the quality was going to be much lower than what they were previously receiving from Lake Huron. The city’s industrial success had done terrible things for the river. Unrestricted dumping lead to toxins and chemicals pooling up in the water that officials now intended for the residents to drink. Even when it was found out that, “the Flint River is highly corrosive: nineteen times more so than the Lake Huron supply,” residents were still assured that everything was being taken care of (Ganim). However, it seems that the way that officials were dealing with the situation was quieting the outspoken residents voicing their concerns. This, instead of spending extra money on an anti-corrosive agent. Problems that could have been avoidable are now shown in full force, and the price that will have to be paid in the aftermath of this crisis will be much higher than if it was dealt with
earlier.
The water has finally been declared to be unsafe, but the damage is already done. The corrosive river has done major damage to the cities lead pipes. As the river ate away at them, lead was pumped into the drinking water of the unknowing citizens. So much was stripped from the pipes that even when clean water flows through them, lead still leaks into the water. The levels that were ingested by many were so high that it will do irreparable damage. In a study conducted by Dr. Mona Hanna-Atisha it was reported that blood lead levels in children have doubled even tripled. “In one specific neighborhood, the percentage of kids with lead poisoning went from about 5%, to almost 16% of the kids that were tested” (Gupta). These levels will cause long term damage for the youth of Flint. Elevated levels of lead can cause everything from, lowered IQ, to a change in behavior. These trying times have taken away so much from this impoverished city and the families that have no other choice but to call it home. The people that are forced to live under these conditions need aid and relief.
Again the state government has tried to take control of the situation and has issued filters capable of filtering out the lead in the water. However, as more cases of lead poisoning are being found in Flint it’s becoming clear that these filters are not strong enough to handle the sheer volume of lead in the water. Relief is also coming from people outside the government. Since the entire water distribution system has come into question many are relying on private donors bringing in bottled water. In order to protect themselves from the toxins people have had to change their entire way of life. The mistake of switching to the Flint river has forced its citizens to drink, cook, and even bathe with bottled
water. Water is an environmental factor that many take for granted. The people and government of Flint Michigan learned this the hard way when exposed to the contaminated waters of the Flint river. Struck down with this saddening fate the strong willed citizens are trying to rebuild their lives from a tragic mistake.