Writer: Mihir Sekhar
Introduction
On April 25, 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan decided to switch their municipal water supply from Detroit’s Lake Huron to the Flint River [1]. Intended as a bold cost-saving measure to ease Flint’s financial struggles, this decision instead triggered one of the most devastating public health disasters of the 21st century.
History: Financial Hardships and the Water Switch
The tale of Flint, Michigan starts in the 1900s. As the birthplace of General Motors, the city quickly developed to meet the growing expectations and demands of the automobile boom [2]. Over a span of 80 years, the city experienced a long period of prosperity, growing to a population of over 200,000.
Flint’s prosperity, however, began to unravel as the automobile industry declined. As a result of rising oil prices and imports, workers experienced mass layoffs – decreasing the city’s population to 100,000, with ⅓ of Flint residents living below the poverty line [3]. By the 2000s, the city’s shrinking tax base and deepening poverty pushed local leaders to seek desperate financial solutions – one of which would change the city forever.
In 2011, Flint fell under state control. In 2014, to combat the financial crisis, a state-appointed emergency manager made the decision to switch Flint’s drinking water source to the Flint River, with the goal of saving the city $5 million over 2 years until a newly constructed, cost-saving pipeline was built [4]. The problem: Flint River water was highly contaminated and corrosive, and required proper treatment before distribution [5]. City officials had failed to add anti-corrosive chemicals into the water supply. This failure triggered a public health disaster as lead from aging pipes leached into the city’s drinking water.
Water Crisis: Overlapping Contamination Crises
The change in water quality was noticed almost immediately: residents reported foul tasting, discolored water to city officials. However, despite repeated concerns over the water, officials continued to maintain that the water was safe. Between April 2014 and October 2015, thousands of Flint residents were exposed to dangerous lead levels in their drinking water, with kids being the most at risk for sickness and adverse health effects [6].
Without proper corrosion control, the Flint River water stripped away layers from the old pipes, allowing toxic metals to leach into the drinking water [7]. A study conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech analyzed water samples collected from 252 homes. They found that roughly 17 percent of samples registered above the EPA’s accepted standards of 15 parts per billion (ppb), with over 40 percent of samples measuring above 5 ppb, which the researchers considered indicative of a major health problem [8].
Another study by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a Flint pediatrician, found that the number of children with elevated blood-lead levels had doubled since the switch to the Flint River water supply [9]. The health harms were significant: lead is highly dangerous to children, causing development delays, intellectual disabilities, and behavioral problems [10].
Compounding this crisis, low chlorine levels in the water supply resulted in an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease (a severe form of pneumonia), killing 12 residents and sickening over 87 people – the 3rd-largest outbreak of the disease in US history [11]. In response, officials increased the use of chlorine for water treatment, creating a new problem: high levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) – chemical byproducts of chlorine that can cause cancer with prolonged exposure. Flint was now facing multiple overlapping contamination crises.
Impacts: State of Emergency and the Flint Recovery Plan
On January 5, 2016, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint [12]. President Barack Obama quickly followed up, declaring a federal emergency and allowing federal agencies to step in to supplement local and state efforts.
In response to the Flint Water Crisis, the federal government launched a comprehensive recovery plan comprising four key areas: safe water access, public health, infrastructure repair, and economic recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) distributed safe drinking water (bottled water, water filters), working in tandem with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which installed and maintained filters in public housing. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded Medicaid coverage for children and pregnant women, funded local clinics, and coordinated lead testing for affected families. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led long-term restoration efforts, conducting extensive testing and awarding over $100 million in grants to upgrade Flint’s water infrastructure. Other federal agencies offered nutritional assistance and social services to help decrease the effects of lead exposure and support residents during recovery [13].
On May 19, 2025, 9 years after issuing a state of emergency, the EPA lifted the Safe Drinking Water Act emergency order, marking an end to the water crisis [14].
Conclusion
The story of Flint, Michigan is powerful. It shows how financial struggles and governmental oversight led to one of the most devastating public health disasters of this century. The crisis exposed thousands of residents to toxic lead, along with countless other health harms resulting from drinking water contamination. Although progress has been made and Flint’s water system is now considered safe, the lasting effects on residents’ health and trust in government remain.
References:
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Story: Flint water crisis. https://www.cdc.gov/casper/php/publications-links/flint-water-crisis.html
[2] A 20-year review of Flint finances shows consequences of lack of investment. https://fordschool.umich.edu/news/2022/20-year-review-flint-finances-shows-consequences-lack-investment
[3]Flint water crisis: Everything you need to know.https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know
[4] Board, D. F. P. E. (2024). 10 years after Flint water crisis began, emergency manager law must change. Detroit Free Press. https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2024/04/25/flint-water-crisis-anniversary-michigan-emergency-manager-law/73423174007/
[5] Joy Crelin. Flint water crisis: Overview. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/environmental-sciences/flint-water-crisis-overview
[6] Runwal, P. (2025). 10 years on, Flint still faces consequences from the water crisis. Chemical & Engineering News. https://cen.acs.org/environment/water/10-years-Flint-Michigan-still-faces-consequences/102/i14
[7] Pieper, K. J., Tang, M., & Edwards, M. A. (2017). Flint Water Crisis Caused By Interrupted Corrosion Control. ACS Publications. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.6b04034
[8] Kennedy, M. (2016). Lead-laced water in Flint: A step-by-step look at the makings of a crisis. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/20/465545378/lead-laced-water-in-flint-a-step-by-step-look-at-the-makings-of-a-crisis
[9] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Pediatrician who uncovered Flint water crisis recounts experience. NIH. https://nihrecord.nih.gov/2021/04/30/pediatrician-who-uncovered-flint-water-crisis-recounts-experience
[10] World Health Organization. Lead poisoning.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health
[11]Was Flint’s deadly Legionnaires’ epidemic caused by low chlorine levels in the water supply? AAAS. https://www.science.org/content/article/was-flint-s-deadly-legionnaires-epidemic-caused-low-chlorine-levels-water-supply
[12] Gov. Snyder declares emergency for Genesee County. State of Michigan. https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/recent/snyder/press-releases/2016/01/05/gov-snyder-declares-emergency-for-genesee-county
[13] National Archives and Records Administration. Fact sheet: Federal support for the Flint Water Crisis Response and Recovery.https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/05/03/fact-sheet-federal-support-Flint-water-crisis-response-and-recovery
[14] Environmental Protection Agency. EPA lifts 2016 emergency order on drinking water in Flint, Michigan.https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-lifts-2016-emergency-order-drinking-water-flint-michigan