When the Flint water crisis first made headlines, I vaguely understood lead poisoning but not much else about the situation. Although the situation seemed dire and important, I didn’t feel powerful enough to help the people of Flint as an uninformed college student a state away. Later, I felt too timid to ask about what had happened when people started talking about it. It seemed too late; it was information I should know.
Because of this, I realized that a quick overview of the crisis would be helpful to other people who, like me, feel too embarrassed to ask someone but want to understand what’s going on. The more people understand, the more we can help, and hopefully prevent disasters like this from happening again.
How did it happen?
Flint’s original water tower and purification had installed lead pipes in the 50s, when they were less expensive and people didn’t fully understand the risks. In 1967, Detroit made it’s own pipeline, which Flint used until 2011. Then, Flint tried to switch water from the Detroit Water and Sewage Department (DWSD) to Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA), which takes water from Lake Huron. The DWSD did not want Flint to switch because they feared that Flint would take money away from their system by switching water sources, but they finally gave Flint a termination agreement that ended two years before they could start using KWA water. Flint’s original system, which had lead pipes and came from the Flint River, was supposed to be used in the meantime.
After Flint started using their original supply again, people started complaining about the water’s color and taste. Residents found unsafe levels of chlorine in their water or THMs (a chlorine water disinfectant). Improper water treatment caused pipes to corrode, which carried lead from the pipes to people’s homes, causing lead poisoning. Rick Snyder, Michigan’s governor, has now declared a state of emergency in Flint.
What are the health risks?
For children, lead poisoning can have serious effects. It can cause developmental toxicity, which impedes normal development. It can also cause stillbirths, as the fetus can intake lead from the mother’s bloodstream. It also causes colic, or excessive crying, in babies.
In children and adults alike, lead poisoning can cause symptoms as diverse as behavioral issues, anemia, kidney disease, and even death. In higher doses, it can mean degeneration of brain function. At its highest levels, lead poisoning can cause a CNS crisis.
There are obvious and not-so-obvious implications of these health risks for the people of Flint. Many of the victims of lead poisoning have been low-income. How will they pay for the treatment? Additionally, the developmental affects of lead poisoning may cause an entire generation of special needs students who require additional educational support in a town that is already hurting financially. At the most basic level, the people of Flint need drinkable water, because they don’t have a water source outside of the one that is actively poisoning them.
Why are people angry?
Many people think that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality should’ve listened to local complaints and reported the lead problem sooner. Others believe that Rick Snyder knew about the lead contamination and ignored the problem, putting Flint’s residents at risk. Many officials involved in the crisis have now resigned.
What can we do?
Unfortunately, the solution to many of Flint’s problems will be costly. 6,000-12,000 children have been affected, and the city needs emergency supplies, a new water system, and the means to fix many of the medical problems they will face in the future. Right now, you can:
• Donate to United Way of Genesee County, which distributes emergency supplies to Flint
• Go to http://www.helpforflint.com/ and donate or volunteer
• Keep educating yourself on the issue: a good resource is this article
• Read more about the heroic doctor who first found the lead levels in children, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
Find more ways to donate here!
Image Credit: Democracy Now, Jezebel, NBC