In fact, almost everywhere, there are some contaminants in the drinking water. How Michigan Hopes to Fix Flint's Water Crisis Under mounting pressure to rip out and replace lead pipes that connect an estimated 15,000 or more customers to main water lines, Gov. “Getting to Work With Little Miss Flint.” Shondaland, Shondaland, 23 Mar. The conditions on the ground in Flint still do not seem to … Fix Some Pipes - It's an oft-cited truism that some Americans still get their water from wooden pipes. Flint's water system had thousands of potentially dangerous lead service lines that were in the process of being evaluated; as of December an estimated 10,000 … If the water being delivered to affluent white homes was poisoned with lead, a solution would be found and implemented within a few months. They had very, very thick walls and many of those pipes are 50, 60 years beyond their predicted service life. While officials claim Flint’s water has reached “safe” levels of lead, Mari claims her home continues to expel water laced with chemicals that burns her family’s eyes and forms rashes on their skin. Around World War II, as we got better at making pipes, unfortunately we were putting very thin-walled pipes in that had a lower lifetime. Jan. 23, 2016 ; Credit... Oliver Munday. Every one of these issues, in one way or another, is related to the same core pr… How to Fix Flint. ", “What happened was the federal law that’s designed to keep lead out of drinking water was not followed. Bailey, David. Federal and state funds are helping Flint fix its broken water system. I think the best grade the drinking water pipes system has gotten in the last six years is a D-minus. ", On the amount of time it would take to replace a city’s water system, "Well, it’s usually a 30-year process minimum to turn over an entire distribution system. The aging pipes have been leaching lead into the city's drinking water, as a result of a decision in 2014 to switch the city's water supply - and a failure to treat that water for its corrosiveness. He says a ligand is a molecule that attaches to other molecules. . Rick Snyder declared the water crisis is an emergency and freed up hundreds of millions of dollars in state resources for the city of Flint… A class action lawsuit is one means of achieving this. What would it take to fix the problem? At this point, the title I’ve chosen to tac on to this essay may seem a bit misleading. The root of the Flint water crisis is that the United States of America is a nation founded and developed within a system of Black slavery, and the effects of slavery permeate the American economy, culture, and politics. 1. Flint is getting the money it wants to replace pipes that contributed to the city's water crisis, but it's not enough to persuade Vicky Jones to stay. In 2017, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette charged 15 people in relation to the investigation of the drinking water crisis in Flint (Egan). Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny, affectionately known as Little Miss Flint, is the now ten-year old Black girl leading the fight to bring attention to the water crisis in Flint. This is because I do not believe a lack of funds or a feat of engineering is the problem that most requires solving. 10). When Flint switched its water source from Detroit to the new Flint River, somehow in the hurry to make that happen, the people who were there to make sure the law is followed didn’t require that an inhibitor be put into the water supply. Digging all the pipes up and replacing them is really the only solution other than moving all of the citizens out of Flint. The EPA and U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention tested and declared that filtered water is safe to drink. Despite what Michigan’s governor recently said about “restored” drinking water, the water crisis is far from over. There are up to 10.5 million lead service lines in this country feeding water into people’s homes. Taking control of one’s own water is also a solution. ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I haven’t provided any logistical information regarding how to efficiently deliver clean water to the homes of the residents of Flint. ", On whether there ever was another American city in Flint’s position, "I cannot recall a city that had to do that. Mari also collaborates with nonprofits like Pack Your Back to raise money for backpacks, Christmas celebrations, anti-bullying programs, and other projects that bring aid to Flint area kids. Volunteers load a vehicle with bottled water at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on February 5, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. But our water infrastructure problems don't start and end with a … This post has been updated with new information about the testing of Flint's water. It’s widely acknowledged through the American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card that the water infrastructure in this country is in horrible shape. Adrian Moore | 2.1.2016 8:00 AM If we can secure funding from the government and public donors that want to help we can end the excessive amounts of lead in Flint's water. The causes behind the presence of lead and harmful bacteria in Flint’s water have been determined: a combination of centuries of unregulated pollution and an outdated water distribution center. 2018, http://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a19485789/getting-to-work-with-little-miss-flint/. After four years of poisoning residents of Flint and their children, it is time we find a solution to this problem. So, in combination, the lack of a corrosion inhibitor, which would have cost about $80 to $100 a day, plus the more corrosive water created essentially a perfect storm of corrosion that resulted in lead, leaks and perhaps even Legionella in the Flint city.”, On what it will take to repair the damage caused, "The damage that was done to Flint’s children and to the pipes cannot be undone. Macbride, Katie. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. “Lawyers File $220 Million Damage Claim against EPA in Flint Water…” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 27 Apr. “Lawyers File $220 Million Damage Claim against EPA in Flint Water…” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 27 Apr. We can do this. Fixing Flint's contaminated water system could cost $216m, report says . After officials repeatedly dismissed claims that Flint’s water was making people sick, residents took action. ", On whether today’s pipes are better and built to last, "Actually, the very oldest pipes were built to last. 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