Page 17 - HSMP student project

emergency finance managers being appointed to control the money that they spent (Bosman et al.). In order to save around $2 million over the course of around two years, Flint’s administration decided that they would treat the water from their local river, and terminate the water contract that they previously had with Detroit’s Lake Huron water system (Adams). On April 25, 2014, Flint, Michigan officially changed their water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River, thus marking the start of the Flint water crisis. It should be noted that the city briefly put ‘water boiling advisories’ in place, but these were lifted merely days after they were put in place (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”). Months later, a General Motors factory in Flint stopped using Flint water after concerns of the water eroding car parts. The water seemed to have had high levels of chlorine, which was what caused the erosion (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”).
In 2015, more concerns were raised. In January, city officials rejected an offer to reconnect their water system to Lake Huron (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”). These administration officials cited high water rates as their reason for declining the offer (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”). Flint residents began to notice a difference in their water. They began to complain that the water had an off smell and had discoloration. Disgruntled, Flint residents brought a jug of discolored tap water to a community meeting. The water began to draw concern from residents and scientists alike. A study by the EPA in early 2015 discovered that Flint’s water was 7x the acceptable EPA limit (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”).
Through 2015, it became more and more evident that there was a problem. In mid-2015, Flint City Council members voted to switch over to the Lake Huron water system. The emergency manager at the time, Jerry Ambrose, overruled the vote (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”). More studies came out detailing just how dangerous the water was in Flint. Virginia Tech conducted a study in September on Flint’s water. They concluded that around 40% of Flint homes had elevated levels of lead (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”). One more study came out detailing that kids had increased levels of lead in their bodies following the water switch (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”). On October 15, 2015, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder obliged and signed a large, over 9.35 million dollar bill to provide relief to those who have unsafe drinking water. It also allowed for the switch for Flint’s water system from their river to Lake Huron (“Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts”).
It’s been around five years since relief has been allocated to Flint, Michigan for their water crisis. Unfortunately, it’s been discovered that some people who drank Flint water became ill and eventually died. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has officially stated that only 12 people died. However, a study conducted by FRONTLINE, a PBS show, shows that at least 20 people died. This number comes out of the 78 people who had originally survived their diagnosis. Why is this? Well, the state of Michigan will only place a deceased person on their death toll if they died in the hospital, or within 30 days of leaving. Thus, placing some of
Wellness 101 - Spring 2020