As a result of a decision to switch their municipal water supply to the caustic Flint River in 2014, residents of Flint were exposed for nearly two years to toxic, lead-tainted water. Even as state officials claimed the water supply was safe, independent investigations led by the ACLU of Michigan, water experts and Flint citizens revealed that the water was indeed polluted with lead. (Go here to read our full coverage of the Flint water crisis.) Now, Flint finds itself in the throes of one of the worst public-health crises in modern history as the city of 100,000 people struggles to end the crisis and mitigate a lead-poisoning tragedy that will resonate across the state--and the nation--for many years to come.
Safe Water for the People of Flint
After the State of Michigan stripped the residents of Flint of their ability to elect local representatives, state-appointed officials decided to use the Flint River as a water source without adding corrosion controls. As a result, lead leached from the water pipes and poisoned the drinking water, causing untold harm to the people of Flint.