The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2019 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.
In April 2014, during a financial crisis, state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint's water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River. Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water, which resulted in lead from aging pipes leaching into the water supply, exposing around 100,000 residents to elevated lead levels. A pair of scientific studies confirmed that lead contamination was present in the water supply. The city switched back to the Detroit water system on October 16, 2015. It later signed a 30-year contract with the new Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) on November 22, 2017.
On January 5, 2016, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Genesee County, of which Flint is the major population center. Shortly thereafter, President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency, authorizing additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
Between 6,000 and 12,000 children were exposed to drinking water with high levels of lead. Children are particularly at risk from the long-term effects of lead poisoning, which can include a reduction in intellectual functioning and IQ, increased issues with mental and physical health, and an increased chance of Alzheimer's disease. The water supply change was considered a possible cause of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the county that killed 12 people and affected another 87, but the original source of the bacteria was never found.
Four government officials—one from the city of Flint, two from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and one from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—resigned over the mishandling of the crisis, and one additional MDEQ staff member was fired. In January 2021, former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and eight other officials were charged with 34 felony counts and seven misdemeanors—41 counts in all—for their role in the crisis. Two officials were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Fifteen criminal cases have been filed against local and state officials, but only one minor conviction has been obtained, and all other charges have been dismissed or dropped. On August 20, 2020, the victims of the water crisis were awarded a combined settlement of $600 million, with 80% going to the families of children affected by the crisis. By November, the settlement grew to $641 million.Proposed Flint $641M water crisis settlement includes 30 claim process categories The Flint Journal via MLive.com, November 18, 2020
An extensive lead service pipe replacement effort has been underway since 2016. In early 2017, some officials asserted that the water quality had returned to acceptable levels, but in January 2019, residents and officials expressed doubt about the cleanliness of the water, in part due to misinformation and faulty testing methods. There were an estimated 2,500 lead service pipes still in place as of April 2019. As of December 8, 2020, fewer than 500 service lines still needed to be inspected.Officials: Flint makes progress toward ending water crisis The Detroit News, December 8, 2020 As of July 16, 2021, 27,133 water service lines had been excavated and inspected, resulting in the replacement of 10,059 lead pipes. After $400 million in state and federal spending, Flint has secured a clean water source, distributed filters to all who want them, and laid modern, safe, copper pipes to nearly every home in the city. Politico declared that its water is "just as good as any city's in Michigan." However, a legacy of distrust remains, and many residents still refuse to drink the tap water.
Timeline
The following is a sequence of events related to the Flint water crisis.
Pre-switch (1967–2013)
1967–2013 – The city of Flint receives its water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, sourced from Lake Huron. The city operates under a plan to use the Flint River as an emergency water source. November 29, 2011 – Three weeks after the city declared a state of financial emergency, Governor Snyder appoints Michael Brown as the city's Emergency Manager, effective December 1. He is the first of four such managers who will effectively take the place of the mayor until 2015, when a Receivership Transition Advisory Board will be appointed. March 22, 2012 – County officials announce plans for a new pipeline to reduce the costs of delivering water from Lake Huron to Flint. April 16, 2013 – The city approves the Karegnondi Water Authority contract. April 17, 2013 – Detroit terminates its water service contract.
2014
April 25 – A worker named Mike Glasgow, who was a supervisor at the plant, warned the State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality that he did not think the switch was a good idea. April 25 – After construction delays, the water source switch to the Flint River is completed. This date is considered the start of the water crisis. June – although not announced until 2016, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease begins, and continues through November 2015. August 14 – The city announces a water boiling advisory for parts of the city. The advisory is lifted on August 20. A second warning is issued in September. October – Flint's General Motors engine plant discontinues using Flint tap water because high levels of chloride are corroding engine parts.
2015
January 12 – City officials decline an offer to reconnect to Lake Huron water, concerned about higher water rates. January 21 – Flint residents complain of health issues caused by city water. Residents bring bottles of discolored tap water to a community meeting. February 26 – EPA manager Miguel Del Toral detects that lead levels in the water at the home of Flint resident LeeAnne Walters are seven times greater than the EPA's acceptable limit. March 23 – Flint City Council members vote to reconnect to Detroit water. Emergency manager Jerry Ambrose overrules the vote. June 24 – Del Toral states in a memo that Virginia Tech scientists, led by water expert Marc Edwards, found extremely high lead levels in four homes. July 9 – Flint Mayor Dayne Walling drinks Flint tap water on local television in an attempt to dispel residents' fear of drinking the water. July 13 – In response to Del Toral's memo, a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) official tells Michigan Radio, "Anyone who is concerned about lead in the drinking water in Flint can relax." September 8 – Virginia Tech's water study team reports that 40% of Flint homes have elevated levels of lead. September 9 – MDEQ spokesman Brad Wurfel states that Flint needs to upgrade its infrastructure but is skeptical about Virginia Tech's water study. September 11 – Virginia Tech recommends that the state of Michigan declare that the water in Flint is not safe for drinking or cooking. September 24 – Hurley Medical Center pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha releases her study showing an increased number of children with high levels of lead in their blood after the water source switched to the Flint River. October 15 – Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signs a bill for $9.35 million to reconnect to the Detroit water system and provide relief. The switch is made the following day. December 15 – Flint Mayor Karen Weaver declares a state of emergency. December 29 – MDEQ Director Dan Wyant resigns. December 30 – Governor Snyder apologizes in public for the crisis.
2016
January 5 – Governor Snyder declares a state of emergency in Genesee County. January 6 – Governor Snyder apologises again for the Flint water crisis. January 12 – The Michigan National Guard mobilizes to help distribute water in Flint. January 13 – Governor Snyder announces that an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease occurred in the Flint area between June 2014 and November 2015. January 14 – Governor Snyder asks President Barack Obama to declare a disaster in Flint. January 16 – President Obama declares a state of emergency in Flint and authorizes $5 million in aid. February 3 – The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform holds a hearing on the Flint water crisis. February 4 – Water service lines are identified as the main source of lead in tap water, but there are almost no verified service line materials in Flint because of outdated records. Mayor Weaver appoints Michael C.H. McDaniel, a retired National Guard brigadier general, to oversee the group leading the lead service line replacement project, the Flint Action and Sustainability Team (FAST). February 8 – Governor Snyder turns down a second invitation to testify at a congressional hearing on the crisis. March 17 – Governor Snyder testifies before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. April 20 – Criminal charges are filed against government employees Mike Glasgow, Stephen Busch, and Mike Prysby. May 4 – President Obama visits Flint to hear first-hand how residents have endured the city's water crisis and to highlight federal assistance to state and local agencies. He also drank some filtered Flint water. July 29 – Six state workers are criminally charged as investigations continue. September – The city begins using a machine learning model developed by two University of Michigan professors, which uses various data about the home and neighborhood to predict its likelihood of having a lead service line. The model is used throughout 2016 and 2017 to prioritize excavations, yielding a hit rate of about 80%. November 10 – A federal judge orders the implementation of door-to-door delivery of bottled water to every home without a properly installed and maintained faucet filter. December 19 – State of Michigan Office of Special Counsel publishes Investigator's Report on Attorney General Case 16-0003 (defendants Earley, Ambrose, Croft, and Johnson). December 20 – Four officials are charged with felonies of false pretenses and conspiracy.
2017
January 24 – The MDEQ declares that, in a six-month-long study, the city's water tested below the federal limit. February 8 – State official Richard Baird informs Flint residents that the year-long state water bill subsidy will end, effective March 1, 2017. February 16 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds the first genetic link from Legionnaires' disease to Flint's water supply. February 20 – The state considers ending bottled water distribution. March 1 – The state officially ends water bill subsidies for residents of Flint. March 15 – President Donald Trump meets with Mayor Weaver to discuss infrastructure funding for Flint. March 16 – Snyder creates the Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission in an effort to avoid future lead poisoning outbreaks. March 28 – A settlement is reached between the plaintiffs and the city, resulting in a federal judge approving $97 million in funding for Michigan to examine and replace lead water service lines for 18,000 Flint homes, to be completed in a three-year time frame. April 18 – Weaver recommends staying with the Great Lakes Water Authority, which would reverse a 2012 decision that started the water crisis. Governor Snyder agrees with her decision. April 20 – At a town hall meeting regarding the crisis, six people are arrested at a Flint church for disorderly conduct and interfering with the police. The meeting is criticized as having violated Michigan's Opening Meetings Act. April 28 – Weaver announces that the city has plans to remove lead piping at 6,000 homes by the end of the year. The project is funded by a $100 million grant approved by Congress earlier that week.