Flint Water

Around October in Flint, Michigan, researchers had discovered that there was lead in the water, and that the lead levels were above average in some of the children.

According to The Washington Post, the cause of this was thought to be the Flint River, because they had started using the river water to save money, which was found to be highly corrosive to the lead pipes that had been used in parts of the city.

Even though the pipes have been reconnected to Detroit’s water system, the pipes still give off a high amount of lead to the water. Experts say the water is safe to bathe in, but it is unsafe to drink. Some of the water contained lead levels high enough to meet the EPA’s definition of “toxic waste.”

The lead in the water is measured in terms of  Parts per billion (ppb). There is no 100 percent “safe” level of lead in drinking water, only acceptable levels. Even levels as low as 5 ppb can be unsafe for drinking. So at this time, Flint’s lead levels are at 27 parts per billion. Neighboring cities, such as Troy, Mich, and Detroit have been tested for lead and their levels are nowhere near Flints lead levels. Troy’s water is at 1.1 ppb, and Detroit’s water is at 2.3 ppb. That gives a bit of comparison as to how bad Flint’s water is.

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