4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Facts: water quality disaster in Flint
1. Anna Clark. 2018. The Poisoned
City: Flint’s Water and the
American Urban Tragedy
published by Metropolitan Books.
2. Department Water and Sanitation:
‘SA’s tap water is safe to drink’
media release dated 13 March
2019 at www.dwa.gov.za.
3. https://www.theguardian.com/
news/2018/jul/03/nothing-to-
worry-about-the-water-is-fine-
how-flint-michigan-poisoned-its-
people.
https://www.acs.org/content/
acs/en/education/resources/
highschool/chemmatters/past-
issues/2016-2017/december-2016/
flint-water-crisis.
www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-
crisis-everything-you-need-know
www.arcs.org/flint/water/crisis
www.mlive.com/news
www.sciencedaily.com
www.dws.gov.za/iris/mywater
References
• Flint city was buying good quality water from Detroit
• A cost-saving decision changed water supply to untreated water from the
heavily polluted Flint River
• Corrosive water caused lead contamination in houses
• 6 000 to 12 000 children were affected over a period of 18 months
• Public health state of emergency
• 79 lawsuits
• Seven investigations
• Four resignations, four officials fired and five suspended
• 15 people formally charged for criminal offences
• 12 deaths (Legionnaire disease) caused by insufficient disinfection.
innovations
the city was under administration by the
state of Michigan at that time. The blame
was shifted to Detroit Water with the
argument that Detroit Water ‘dumped’
Flint as a client (which was not true at
all). Eventually the judge ordered that
bottled water be provided free of charge
to all residents. Supply was switched
back to Detroit Water. Officials were
fired or resigned, and an additional 15
criminally charged for offences ranging
from ‘involuntary manslaughter’ to
tampering with lead test results. Among
the officials charged were Nick Lyon,
the director of Michigan Department
of Health, as well as chief medical
examiner Dr Eileen Wells.
A recent internet search (2019)
indicates that people in Flint are
still wary about water quality. Ratau
should take note of a statement made
by a spokesperson of the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality
during the Flint crisis, ‘’Anyone who is
concerned about lead in the drinking
water in Flint can relax.’’ The public of
South Africa should never relax where
the safety of our drinking water is at
stake. Media statements not based
on scientific fact can come back and
haunt a spokesperson.
www.waterafrica.co.za
Water Sewage & Effluent May/June 2019
13