Flint MI

[Rob Amaral]

Anybody following this mess??? The story is getting screwed up royally...

[Tom Raymond]

It's tragic. It was avoidable. Someone, probably several people, are going to end up in jail.

Generations of Flint residents are going to be dealing with the fallout.

[kurt]

Yes, I am. I know folks in Flint, and in Grand Blanc the white suburb right next door where the water is fine.

What's getting screwed up about the story besides the usual media confusion?

[Les]

The situation is mostly politics. That being said, there are 7.5% of households with a high lead level in their water. Many water service lines are lead, especially the laterals into houses. A change of water treatment resulted in lead leaching from some of those pipes into the drinking water. 63+- kids have tested for high levels of lead. That is too many.

The Flint River was not a contaminated source, rather the water did not have a particular (needed and required) chemical added during treatment that would have kept ph and other corosive levels in check and subsequently not allow lead to leach into the water.

Most of what the national media reports is crap, but it only confuses the issue that is really serious. It is not and was not a racial issue. Lansing went thru the same thing times 4 few years ago and has since replaced all lead lines or has them scheduled for change. Residents used lead filters for years (ffree of charge).

Don't get the idea I am saying this is not serious. It is serious, but not as reported.

We inspect in Flint and live 40miles away.

It was and is a money issue. Someone should go to jail, but for the right reasons.

[Jim Baird]

...makes me glad I have a private well...the water tastes just like wine.

[John Kogel]

Thanks, Les.

Lead pipes and corrosive water explains it. The affluent neighborhoods have had new pipes installed ages ago. Now back to our top story, blah blah blah.... []