Water Crisis in the Flint River

Flint Water Crisis
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Institution
Introduction
Flint River is located in Michigan and serves as the primary source of drinking water for the city. The water source has gained traction over the years since 2014 after lead contamination. The Flint River contamination is a detrimental public health matter and a threat to Flint, Michigan. Besides the causative logics, the Flint water crisis is a narrative of environmental injustice and poor administration. The Flint River runs through the town's heart under stretches from Piedmont to the Chattahoochee River in Southwest Georgia. The river's length is estimated at 349 river miles and drains an area of 8,460 square miles. The wetland acreage in the Flint River basin estimated through satellite imagery is approximately 412,000 acres ("Flint River - Georgia River Network," 2020). The Flint River is one of the South's most prime natural resources. The river serves as a resource to farms and industries and also facilitates fishing, swimming, and paddling, among other activities. Supply pipes have sustained significant corrosion, and the community in Flint city has faced significant health problems due to lead seepage into the water. The residents have previously complained about the smell and the water's color, and most Suggest that the water is hard than before. Medical tests established the presence of calling from bacteria in the Flint water. As more speculations are carried out on this crisis, research suggests more health and environmental unrest.
Cause of the problem
The unofficial waste disposal initiated the problems associated with the Flint water crisis from local industry. These wastes originate from several factories; meatpacking plants, lumber and pepper mills, and toxic wastes from landfills. Traces of red water, discoloration, and several unusual water main brakes are attributed to the river's natural high content of corrosive chloride (Masten, Davies & Mcelmurry, 2016). The iron released from corrupting pipes reacts with chlorine and makes it impossible to disinfect the water. When these mineral coatings are dissolved in water, taste changes, hardness and coloration can be observed. Treatment of water could have prevented erosion by depositing natural minerals on the pipe and protecting the surface from oxidants' exposure. Corrosion of lead service lines leads to high lead levels in the water.
Authorities played a primary role in propagating the Flint crisis. The adverse problems associated with the Flint water crisis was due to the switch of the city's water supply in 2014 (Denchak, 2018). Officials switched its water source from Detroit water to the Flint River to save on costs. Although the city officials were aware of the industries' likelihood of pollution, they never applied corrosion inhibitors. Their ignorance contributed to the contamination of the water ...