Flint Water Crisis: What Happened And Why?

In January 2016, President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint, Michigan (Kennedy, 2016, par. 44). Initially, the declaration of a state of emergency might evoke thoughts of a natural disaster or of an armed conflict, which are not incorrect assumptions. However, this state of emergency was declared for an event much less spectacular, but nonetheless urgent— the contamination of Flint’s water supply.
Years prior to the president's declaration, Flint officials explored ways to decrease water costs for the city. One suggestion, which projected to save the city more than two hundred million dollars over twenty-five years, was to switch from their current provider, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), to their
In her article, “Flint Water Crisis: What Happened and Why?,” Susan J. Masten (2016) first acknowledges that “many warnings and concerns were voiced regarding the use of the Flint River as a community water source.” In particular, Brian Larkin, then associate director of Michigan’s Governor’s Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives, and Mike Glasgow, laboratory and water quality supervisor, cautioned that the situation is ‘less than ideal’ (Masten, 2016, 23). Masten (2016) also explains that the inadequacy of the Flint water treatment plant and the failure to install a corrosive control plan largely contributed to the crisis: “Since the Flint plant had not been fully operational in almost 50 years, was understaffed, and some of the staff were undertrained, it is not surprising that it was difficult to achieve effective treatment.” She notes that the Flint water plant did not undergo sufficient pilot testing and corrosion testing before the switch of water sources and even after the switch, there was no method for corrosion control (2016,
Even after General Motors, a massive corporation whose roots are deeply embedded in the Flint community, stopped using Flint River water due to its corrosive nature, the government neglected to take action. My grandfather worked for General Motors in the mid-1900s and growing up, I remember the passion he had for the company that helped make Flint what it is today, but it did not seem to sway the city’s actions. The government’s actions also seemed to ignore the socio-economic status of a large portion of Flint residents. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 41.2% of Flint residents are in poverty. Nevertheless, the city suggested that the residents buy bottled water to drink and bath until the water was safe, a practically infeasible task for many. In a country founded on democratic values, the government should be considerate of their people’s opinions and exercise their power to keep the citizens safe and healthy; however, clearly this was not the case in