When Dr. Benjamin Pauli moved to Flint, Michigan, in June 2015, the town was already one year into a water crisis without knowing it. He was to begin his role as an associate professor of social science at Kettering University in the heart of the city and just feet from the glittering Flint River.
“We heard when we moved into the neighborhood there’d been issues with the water, but we were given the impression it was under control. We weren’t given any indication of a public health threat or a direct threat to our family,” says Pauli. “So, we began using the tap water for drinking and other purposes.”
That tap was being supplied by the Flint River, a change that occurred on April 25, 2014. Traditionally, Flint had received its drinking water through Detroit, which treated and dispensed water from Lake Huron. Now, the water was discolored, murky, often filled with visible debris. While citizens collected this water and reported their concerns, city and state officials shrugged them off.
Dr. Benjamin Pauli
Through the hard work of activists and researchers, the Flint water crisis came to light. Water from the river was corroding the old pipelines, leaching lead into the drinking water, and emails between government officials, including leaders of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), revealed a massive cover-up.
It wasn’t just lead that was poisoning the citizens of Flint. The water also contained a deadly bacteria known as legionella. Officially, 12 people lost their lives. However, subsequent investigations have revealed that the actual toll is likely much higher, with as many as 78 individuals dying from complications of the disease that presents similarly as pneumonia. Many who survived their bout with the disease still face health complications.
Through 2015 and 2016, volunteers, celebrities, and politicians clambered to the beleaguered city, ushering in national attention, funds, and bottled water. After a lawsuit brought against the city and state, Michigan was required to provide $97 million to remove lead and galvanized steel water lines and develop a comprehensive water monitoring system.
