President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency, a regional Environmental Protection Agency official has stepped down and an outraged public is demanding the resignation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.
Though the truth about the water in Flint, Michigan, came out at a slow trickle, there’s been a flood of fallout, and the response has been swift.
The problem began in April 2014, when a cost-cutting measure switched the source of Flint’s water from Lake Huron, where Detroit gets its water, to the Flint River. Though the water from the river wasn’t initially tainted, its chemistry was different from the lake water, which led to the corrosion of the city’s pipes, releasing lead into the water. The water source has since been changed back, but the protective seal inside the pipes has worn away, so the water is still unclean.
Health officials estimate 9,000 Flint children have lead poisoning, and though other residents — including adults and children of every age, formula-drinking babies and unborn children of pregnant mothers — might not have enough lead in their bodies to qualify as having lead poisoning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there is no “safe amount” of lead in the bloodstream.
Indy’s drinking water
According to an article in the journal titled “Environmental Health Perspectives,” the most recent estimate (published in 1990) said across the U.S., more than 3.3 million water service lines and 6.4 million line connections were made of lead, and that doesn’t include the water service lines that run from public lines into private homes.
At Citizens Energy Group in Indianapolis, which provides water to hundreds of thousands of central Indiana homes and businesses, compliance monitoring for lead is reported every three years, per state regulations. The most recent reported lead data, which was collected in 2012, found the water in compliance with lead regulations.
Citizens tests its drinking water much more often — approximately 120,000 times each year, according to its website — for contaminants including pharmaceuticals, algae, lead and more. There are also in-line water monitors that continuously measure water quality. But the utility cautions the water quality could vary from customer to customer.
“It is possible lead levels at your property may be higher than at others in the community as a result of materials used in your plumbing,” the website reads. “If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.”
The CDC says lead in water has no smell or taste and cannot be seen, so the only way to know if your tap water is contaminated is to have it tested.
“Lead … can be found in some metal water taps, interior water pipes, or pipes connecting a house to the main water pipe in the street. Lead found in tap water usually comes from the corrosion of older fixtures or from the solder that connects pipes. When water sits in leaded pipes for several hours, lead can leach into the water supply,” the CDC says.
In the case of a widespread water crisis like the one Flint is facing, contingency plans are in place. John Erickson, from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), said local jurisdictions would take the lead, but IDHS would be available to assist with arranging shelters, food and water sources for residents.
“IDHS does have resources for water, such as tankers and other types of vehicles that could carry potable water to an area of need,” Erickson said. “IDHS and other sources also have water purification systems.”
Help on the way
In the wake of the growing crisis in Flint, many high-profile celebrities have gotten involved; Mark Wahlberg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Wiz Khalifa and Cher have each donated water. But in Indianapolis, several groups have mobilized as well to lend a helping hand to the residents of Flint.
Brent Lyle is one local man who felt moved to act.
“I’d just seen too many stories on the news about what was going on there and about how it was continuing to get worse,” Lyle said. “It’s people not unlike me or my friends or family, or people who live in our city.”
Lyle said he’s collected more than 100 cases of water, several donations of hand sanitizer and baby wipes and monetary donations.
“My PayPal has been dinging every couple hours, and we’ve got email commitments from people saying they’re raising funds in their office,” he said.
One major donation: A semi-truck will haul the supplies to Flint. Originally, Lyle had planned to drive the donations to Michigan himself.
Donations will be accepted through Feb. 9 and can be dropped off at the Madam Walker Theatre Center, Studio B, MLK Community Center or to 100 Black Men of Indianapolis. Paypal donations can be made to IndyLovesFlint@gmail.com. Lyle said he suspects helping Flint will be an ongoing effort, beyond this one collection drive.
Lyle said the response to the water collection drive has been better than he imagined.
“That says to me that we are a community of caring people.”
