Flint’s Water Crisis Ends With A Major Development

More than a decade after toxic water poured from the taps and government trust went down the drain in Flint, Michigan, residents are finally seeing real progress. The state is set to announce that most of the city’s lead pipes have been replaced — over 10 years after the city's water crisis sparked national outrage.

The Natural Resources Defense Council submitted a progress report Tuesday to federal court stating that 11,000 lead pipes across the city have been replaced, along with restoration work at more than 28,000 properties. It’s a major step forward — but for many, it raises a lingering question: how safe is safe enough? While the progress is deemed a “landmark milestone,” the council also warned that there is still “no safe level of lead exposure.”

And the experts agree. Children under six exposed to lead may have lowered IQ, learning and behavioral difficulties, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches. Adults aren’t safe either, as those exposed to lead can suffer from reproductive issues, hypertension, nerve disorders, memory problems and joint pain, per the Environmental Protection Agency. 

“Thanks to the persistence of the people of Flint and our partners, we are finally at the end of the lead pipe replacement project,” said Pastor Allen C. Overton of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action. “While this milestone is not all the justice our community deserves, it is a huge achievement.” 

“Flint residents never gave up fighting for safe drinking water in the face of government indifference, mistruths, and incompetence. I’ve been angry that officials poisoned the drinking water in my home and community. But I will always be proud that Flint inspired a federal rule requiring that every lead pipe in the country be replaced in the next decade. Flint changed America, for the better,” Melissa Mays of Water You Fighting For, stated.

Back in April 2014, the city of Flint changed its water source from Detroit’s system — which draws from Lake Huron — to the Flint River to save coin. Needless to say, that backfired. Residents raised concerns about the water’s funny smell and murky, foamy quality, leading officials to declare a State of Emergency two years later, in 2016.

The city residents — majority Black families, of course — slapped Flint with a massive lawsuit, which reached a landmark settlement in 2017. They were awarded $97 million for lead pipe replacement, faucet filters, bottled water distribution, and a sweeping water monitoring program — complete with an independent watchdog to keep the city in check — all at zero cost to residents, per NPR. 

So, yes…most of the lead pipes are gone, but damage has been done. What about the families? Nearly 100,000 Flint residents were exposed to lead through drinking water, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while another study found that children with elevated lead levels in their blood nearly doubled.

The city of Flint has made an incredible leap forward, but the consequences of government failure still ripple through families. As the country moves to replace every lead pipe within the next decade, Flint represents both a hard-earned victory — and a haunting reminder of what should never happen again.