FLINT – Ten years since state officials declared an emergency in the city, residents still face a crisis flowing from their taps. Today, the city of Flint, Michigan, struggles to provide clean drinking water and recover from the 2014 disaster.

According to Food & Water Watch , “They’re just trying to sweep this under the rug and say Flint’s all better, but we’re not. And it’s not just about the lead. Because the water was so corrosive — they didn’t treat it or put corrosion control to protect the pipes from the water and the water from the pipes — the interior plumbing in our homes is crumbling and rupturing. Our mains in the street are rupturing. That then of course means the cost of our water goes up, and the quality drops because you can’t keep proper treatment.”

In 2015, Marc Edwards, an expert on municipal water quality from Virginia Tech, lead an investigation into lead levels in the water supply. Flint resident LeeAnne Walters and her family had suffered health complications since the city began using the Flint River, thus prompting the investigation. The study later revealed that the water was “very corrosive” and “causing lead contamination in homes.” According to Edwards, the water supply in Flint was worse than the city of Detroit.

During public testimony, Edwards stated, “It was the injustice of it all and that the very agencies that are paid to protect these residents from lead in water, knew or should’ve known after June at the very very latest of this year, that federal law was not being followed in Flint, and that these children and residents were not being protected. And the extent to which they went to cover this up exposes a new level of arrogance and uncaring that I have never encountered.”

Troubled Water

Since 2015, a series of federal, state, and local investigations have led to civil hearings and subsequent settlements of $626 million.

Today, Flint residents go about their daily lives as officials work to replace the lead pipes. “Residents of Flint deserve – and have always deserved – access to clean, safe drinking water and property repairs, full stop. While we know that this is not a resolution for all the harms caused to the people of Flint from the water crisis, we celebrate this long-awaited win alongside you. We are committed to our partnership and the work ahead,” Bonsitu Kitaba said, in May. Kitaba is the interim legal director of Michigan’s ACLU who worked with officials to secure the financial settlement.
According to Kitaba, much work remains to be done regarding Flint’s water infrastructure.

In August of 2021, Judge Judith Levy “granted class certification on liability claims in ongoing litigation against Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam (LAN) and Veolia North America (Veolia),” according to a legal website.  Each claim alleges that the two companies failed to provide professional advice, adding to widespread contamination during the crisis.

Some residents have declined to have pipes on their properties inspected. Abandoned homes have also gone untested. Officials and residents believe the tragedy teaches hard, yet valuable, lessons, allowing other cities and regions to avoid a similar tragedy.

Watershed

In Flint, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha was in high-school during the water crisis. She claims the lead exposure sparked a series of health issues, and has worked closely with health experts to verify her experience. ADHD specialists have released a study linking lead exposure with behaviors associated with ADHD; for example, controlling emotions and aggressive behavior is a hallmark of lead exposure and closely linked to children who suffer these symptoms.  Lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood is considered a “concern,” while “10 micrograms or above is considered serious,” by health experts.  Hanna-Attisha believes the high levels of lead in her blood led to her ADHD diagnosis.

Officials now say 9,000 children experienced health and behavioral issues due to high lead levels in Flint’s water supply. Dr. Hanna-Attisha now advocates for healthy water in communities across the United States as a result of her own struggles.

Fast Current

As the settlements provide financial aid, how will Flint move forward? What is life like beyond the immediate tragedy? As the media focuses on other stories, residents try to rebuild their lives once the cameras and reporters move on.

In May 2025, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) removed the emergency order as the city has complied with safety measures and replaced over 97 percent of its led pipes. “Our message to the residents of Flint, Michigan is simple. EPA will work with all other levels of Government to do its part to ensure your community has safe drinking water for decades to come. We will continue to be a partner to provide technical assistance to the city and state as efforts continue to maintain and upgrade water infrastructure,” Director Lee Zeldin said.

Yet, Flint Water Activist Melissa Mays says the city still lacks proper safety and guarantees of a clean water supply. “It is infuriating that the EPA still hasn’t even settled our civil cases yet, and the civil cases are based on the EPA not acting, not stepping in, not forcing the city and state to do the right thing. And here they’re doing that exact same thing,” Mays told reporters.

If you are concerned about lead levels in your area, you can purchase home testing kits and send a sample to a laboratory by following the instructions in the kit. You can also find contact information for your local officials online.