What Went Wrong in Flint

ScrAPES#18: What Went Wrong in Flint

by Monica Davey and Mitch Smith

March 3, 2016

On April 2014, Flint's state allowed a temporary change on the city's water source. Flint's water was originally coming from Lake Huron and was transferred to Flint's river. During the switch, Flint officials did not add corrosion controls (the measures that are implemented in various fields to control corrosion in: Soil, Metal, Concrete, and Water). Since the corrosion controls controlled metals, the contamination of lead could have been prevented initially. The epidemic of the contamination of lead derived from the city's old lead pipes. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality did not check twice for the corrosion controls and are one of the many people who is in fault for this issue. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency ignored when a scientist warned them about the levels of high lead in the water coming out of Flint's tap water. State and local officials relentlessly overlooked resident's complaints about the discoloration of the water and the effect of rashes. Mayor Walling also announced that he thinks people are wasting precious money buying bottled water. When Flint officials finally realized the elevated levels of contamination they told residents to boil their water before drinking it, but it failed miserably. The city and state officials did not warn the issue and later on arranged the water to return to Lake Huron. Detroit also offered to give Flint fresh and clean water but was rejected stating that Detroit's water is expensive. Other than rashes the other extreme, horrific effects of the contamination was the Legionnaire's Disease (a form of pneumonia) and high levels of lead in newborns. Governor Snyder was withheld the information of the contamination, even though he worried about Flint's water. Instead he was assured by officials and scientists that the water was perfectly fine!

This article or issue is interesting to me because water is the most important and valuable resource any living organism need. Humans can survive without food for probably a week or two because of water. It is disgusting that the officials of Flint hid a horrid complication instead of taking it in their own hands, which would have prevented lead contamination, residents and children getting sick and dying. Sometimes I question people's lack of humanity because apparently Flint rather would have cheap water than extravagant water. I guess people love to ruin our existence and cause dramatic problems for money. 

This is important for the environment because as I said earlier, water is literally everything for everyone! We NEED water and murky water is not the way to go with! Imagine a parent washing their hands on dirty tap water and then holding their newborn child, that child will get ill and die. Polluted water can also poison animals because there are aquatic animals who depend and live in the water. There are also animals who drink water from rivers and lakes. It can wipe out the diversity in the community of the animals, which will prevent them from surviving. Taking in too much lead can effect the human nervous system, bones, teeth, kidneys, cardiovascular, immune system, and reproductive system. As well as hearing loss and cataracts. Lead is extremely deadly and I know people are afraid to die. My point is that it is more important for us to be healthy over the possession of money.



Resources:

• What Went Wrong in Flint