In 1973, the EPA announced regulations on using leaded gasoline because of the potentially detrimental effects to the health of the American citizens. Today, there is a new source of lead bourne danger in America.

The CDC recommends the lead level in tap water be no higher than 15 parts per billion (ppb), but the water in Flint, Michigan was well over a high of 158 ppb. These water quality issues in Flint, Michigan have aroused concern for many of its residents, as well as others throughout the nation.

The state temporarily switched Flint’s water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April of 2014. This change occurred because Flint was going through a financial emergency, and as a cost-saving measure, the state switched the water source until a new supply line to Lake Huron was ready.

Despite this effort to save $15 million through a change in water supply, Flint residents continued to pay higher rates for their water than in other city in the nation.

The Flint River had a reputation for being unsanitary, and many residents complained of smelly water. Consequently, researchers at Virginia Tech conducted experiments and discovered that the water was highly corrosive. The city later switched the supply back to Lake Huron, but by then, the damage had already been done to the lead pipes.

The city did not treat the water with an anti-corrosive agent, and in addition to the high amounts of iron as a result of the water being corrosive, the lead in the pipes began to seep into the water. The combination of iron and lead in the water can cause health problems for many residents.

Many attribute this lapse to the poverty and high concentration of minorities living in Flint. Almost 40 percent of Flint residents fall below the poverty line and over 60 percent are people of color. They feel that the state government has neglected towns like Flint because of the lack of the residents wealth.

“Would more have been done, at a much faster pace, if nearly 40 percent of Flint residents were not living below the poverty line? The answer is unequivocally yes,” the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) stated on its website.

Malvika Khanna (12), who is looking to pursue a career in medicine, reflects on the health consequences of citizens of Flint, Michigan.

“What happened to the residents in Flint, Michigan is absolutely terrible,” Malvika said. “Thousands of people have been affected by the bad water and this could lead to serious health issues for them in the future.”

The backlash of the contamination in the Flint water has raised concerns among people all over the country, including the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

In Santa Clara Valley, the water supply is regularly monitored for any signs of contamination, with around 170,000 tests being conducted yearly. Additionally, their “corrosion control program” ensures that no harmful substances in the pipes can seep into the water supply.
Algae blooms began to surface in the reservoirs with low water levels in fall of last year because of the drought.

”We have also incurred additional expenses to treat water that comes into our system that has degraded in quality. While this makes it a challenge to continue to meet regulatory standards, we have done so diligently because water quality is of utmost importance,” said Colleen Valles, Santa Clara Valley Water District’s public information representative.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on March 2, 2016