Water Crisis
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The Flint Michigan Water Crisis unnoticeable started in the year 2012 when state heads noticed that they were capable of saving money through interchanging water providers. Thus, after some study and contemplation period, state heads decided to shift from the then provider, which was the DWSD (Detroit Water and Sewerage Department) and developed their pipeline. Besides, this action would link them to the KWA (Karegnondi Water Authority) and make savings projecting to 200 million US dollars for 25 years. Since the pipeline project could not be finished until the year 2014, the state decided to use the Flint River as the primary water source throughout the construction period, avoiding the objection from society concerning the quality of the water (Butler et al., 2016). In spite, the fact that this water obtained from Flint River was considered to be corrosive, as compared to water that was formerly offered by Detroit Water and Sewerage Department since the city heads didn’t treat the water obtained with what is known as anti-corrosive agents that play the role of preventing the lifting of lead in the installed pipe into the society of Flint’s drinking water.
The town of Flint, Michigan, is considered to be housing approximately 96,500 individuals; in this population, 54% were recorded to be Hispanic and African American. The yearly median household wages are approximately 25,650 US dollars, and also over 40% of the society is living below the standard line of life. Moreover, a projection of 33% of the population is viewed to be below 18 years old; thus, this age group is considered to more vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure (Hanna-Attisha et al., 2016). Remarkably, as an outcome of continuously using Flint river as a surrogate water source for a period of 2 annuals; hence, the BLL (Lead Blood Level) of numerous youngsters were found to have tripled from the year 2013 to 2015. Similarly, the occupants of the Flint community were viewed as sitting ducks for the situation to unfurl amidst the since they believed in the regime heads to keep them safe and save the state revenue. As a result, they were poisoned. Thus, this situation made a civil uproar within the society of Flint and the entire Michigan state; its inhabitants requested access to what they believed every human living deserved, and that was clean water. Along these lines, the Flints health centers divulged in about 17 months after shifting to taking Flint river water, there was an increase of the number of youngsters having high levels of lead content in their blood, and it had doubled, and in some neighborhood, the record showed that it had tripled (Hanna-Attisha et al., 2016).
The community of Flint had the following resource that is public health workers and even health care heads who were sent to assist the families that were affected with the toxic level of lead. Thus, they empowered them with education and linked them to various community resources, and also they determined the resource that was still required. Therefore, intending to make the community trust the health care official that was sent, the nurse in the ground had to work assiduously towards creating therapeutic interrelationship with the entire society. Hence, through that adopted system, the families were comfortable trusting and asking various questions to the nurses who were out to assist them in coping with lead exposure.
In conclusion, Flint’s society had to remain in a limbo state without a water contract since their health was severely affected. From, the crisis that took place after three annuals when the Flint water made headlines that they had a better water source, most individuals never believed or trusted that they had safe tap water.
Reference
Butler, L. J., Scammell, M. K., & Benson, E. B. (2016). The Flint, Michigan, water crisis: a case study in regulatory failure and environmental injustice. Environmental Justice, 9(4), 93-97.
Hanna-Attisha, M., LaChance, J., Sadler, R. C., & Champney Schnepp, A. (2016). Elevated blood lead levels in children associated with the Flint drinking water crisis: a spatial analysis of risk and public health response. American journal of public health, 106(2), 283-290.