the city of Flint is no stranger to trouble and its people have been through everything from extreme poverty to being labeled the most dangerous city in America however Flint's latest crisis the Water emergency may be the worst of all it's a problem that needs to be dealt with now and will have effects that will last a [Music] lifetime I could hardly sleep knowing that our youngest and most vulnerable children could be at greater risk if precautionary steps were not taken this is irreversible damage permanent damage the truth the truth [Music] now before we look towards the future we need to see how this all began Flint Michigan used to be synonymous with the American dream it was an old-fashioned boom town where the money was flowing and industry was booming just like the Gold Rush of the 1800s people from the East Coast West Coast wherever you could think of were flocking to Flint for work General Motors opened up its doors in 1908 and since then had built the city up as a mid- Michigan Kingdom from 1900 to 1960 nearly 183,000 people had found a place to call home and Flint it was only a matter of time before the decline began and when it did it hit the city and its roots it crippled the city so bad in fact that less than 8,000 workers of the once 880,000 deep Workforce remains to this day with less people working and living in Flint the financial problems were bound to strike the people since 2002 the city has been under the burden of nearly 30 million doll in debt to alleviate the weight of so much owed money the first emergency Financial Manager was appointed in the city Flint Alicia Paxton has the story the original emergency manager law was passed in 1988 created to help cities in financial distress it allows a single person to be assigned into a city and can take over all decisions made in hopes of getting communities out from under money problems in 2012 Governor Snider updated the law to make it even stronger emergency manager supersedes all elected officials including Mayors and City councils and also can change or eliminate all negotiated contracts when a community is assigned an emergency manager all democracy can in effect be thrown out and elected officials become powerless there have been 13 cities in Michigan under the effects of this law including Flint since 2002 Flint has had six different managers in command on April 16th of 2013 Flint signed an agreement to join the Kwa the king 0 Water Authority a group that helps give cities more power over costs and their water at the time Flint had been paying the city of Detroit high amounts of money for forther water and it was decided that a switch was in need with this agreement Kwa would build a pipeline from Lake hiron directly to Flint a couple months later emergency manager Darnell early took control and made some decisions that started a chain of effects after the choice to go with Kwa the dwsd agreement was on borrow time dwsd the Detroit Water and Sewage department is one of the largest water and sewer systems in the US today and they also have been the source of Flint water for over 50 years but that was soon to change with the decision to take take a cheaper route for Flint's water source the decision to switch to the Kwa meant one day later it was time to terminate the long-term contract between flint and dwsd knowing that the pipeline would not be done until 2016 way after the contract was finished Flint knew they needed a temporary water source it was decided in March of 2014 that they would be switching to Flint River for the meantime Flint water customers noticed a switch within hours from things like the new smell discoloration and even the taste and through the summer the new problems continued on September 8th 2014 a boiling water advisory was issued to certain water customers in Flint after calor bacteria had been discovered in regular water flowing through Flint's pipes the bacteria itself isn't harmful however it is a pointer that contaminants could be within the water this breakthrough had brought validation to the people of Flint's concerns about a month later on October 13th the water system's biggest user gen motor stopped using the water to make cars GM decided to cut ties with Flint water and bring in an outside source if the water wasn't good enough to make cars how could it be drinkable for humans soon after this is when the problems would be revealed water a basic need for everyday life we use it for drinking cooking cleaning and bathing with Michigan being the Great Lake State we take it for granted but what if that basic necessity was taken away from you Flint a major city here in Michigan that is no stranger to struggle is now having to fight for a natural resource do we want on an arctic cold afternoon with wind chills reaching -20 Flint residents took to the streets in front of City Hall expressing their concerns demanding clean water this protest is in direct response from a notice Flint customers received about the high levels of dangerous tthm in their water tthm also known as trialo methanes are formed as a byproduct when chlorine is used to disin infect water for drinking we need something done and we need something done now this Water Crisis is taking a tollon residents including Jackie pton who is standing up for her granddaughter I have a three-year-old granddaughter that we bathe her in Flint water she breaks out in a rash we bathe her in her grandmother's water out in Holly no rash to figure out how exactly we got into this mess we sat down with Flint's May danne Walling could you walk us through a little a little bit about how we got to this point the city of Detroit who we had been a customer of for over 40 years they terminated our contract and we had a 12month window to uh find a new source or to negotiate a new uh higher cost short-term contract with the Detroit system uh that's what the county did uh they're paying uh quite a good premium for that uh short-term Supply the emergency manager here at the city of Flint made a different decision and that decision getting water from their own backyards the Flint River we got off the Detroit Water and we're now getting the water from the Flint River why can't we go back to the Detroit Water until the pipeline's Built Well that that would be an option I mean it's technically possible uh the pipes are still connected so what do residents do in the meantime that refuse to drink the water according to the city and mayor they are okay to keep drinking it so the city's given the residency okay to drink the water and you and your family drink the water is that right we do y um we've uh used it throughout again I was not aware of the um the high levels of tthm neither were residents and that's why they are demanding answers answer the question answer the question residents are also concerned about the decisions being made without them including water rates I'm concerned about the quality and affordab ility of our water um you know we're under an emergency manager situation so this decision to move to the Flint River uh was basically made in Lancing with no input from Flint residents and uh we really don't have recourse uh in our local government I've advocated for increasing the public information and transparency because I think customers have a right to know uh I've stepped up and asked the governor to make funding available so we can improve the treatment and fix the the water system and do that without putting the rates on our our local customers um so I'm going to continue to to work with the emergency manager but I'm also going to advocate for the changes that I think we need this letter in my hand is what pushed Flint families to the brink to most it felt like a slap in the face on February 2nd letters like this were delivered in mailboxes all across Flint in the letter the city acknowledged the suffering and discontent from its customers and assured them they were working hard to bring closure yet that didn't matter for men and women having to continue to pay absurd water bills and buying packs and packs of bottled water for their families since their very own water was undrinkable soon after they shipped Letters Out leaders from the city made the decision to bring in a third party to drink the water issues on February 10th a team of water experts from Viola North America were brought in to conduct tests on the chemical R water February 18th just over a week after violia had been brought in had discovered discoloration and issues with sediment however overall the water was safe to drink according to the company the city had reduced its tthm levels and had officially been found in compliance with Federal levels theia submitted their final recommendation and official results on March 18th 2015 the firm called for $3 million to be put into the water plant within this chunk of change would be changing the water filter system further training for City staff and other things regarding chemicals being used a couple months later on August afternoon Flint judge Archie hyon ordered water rates be cut after a 2007 sewage overflow incident in which the city moved $15 million from sewage funds to help pay for a lawsuit why is this related for some families of Flint their water bills started to decline after months of Skyhigh prices of poisonous H2O that is until September rolled around it's bad okay and it affects them then the next Generation to come the tthm problem was only the tender to a roaring fire that next issue ignited after nearly a year-long struggle for the people of Flint a new problem blindsided them and they were thrown deeper into chaos Less Than 3 weeks after Flint's water was declared safe and in compliance with the Safe Water Act news leaked that researchers at Virginia Tech University had found traces of lead within Flint water an official Press Conference held on September 15th confirmed these tests at a local Flint Church the water found in some homes was three times the federal limit of lead Within water aged lead pipes and Lead soldering found in pipes are common throughout the city not only in city lines but also in people's homes and has been for years but why is the lead a problem now it's the corrosive Flint River that released the lead into the water if your house has lead pipes if your house has copper pipes with lead solder then there's the potential because of the corrosivity of the water for some of that lead to leech into the water on September 24th a Press Conference was held at to show blood test results the percentage of children with elevated blood levels has increased um the most striking increase um is in the zip codes with the highest water lead levels lead is not something meant for the human body it's a neurotoxin that is especially dangerous to infants and young children as it can permanently cause brain damage and can stunt growth it's an emergency there is the CDC the American Academy of Pediatrics they routinely say there is no safe level of leads um and when we saw an increase in lead levels and then when in the state um saw that they also noticed an increase in lead levels it's an emergency you have to do something about it a public health emergency was declared by the JY County Health Department on October 2nd because it had gotten to such a horrible point the same day the Flint water action plan was released by state and city officials as an attempt to provide Solutions while the Water emergency was officially declared by the county for families and especially children across Flint the emergency started a long time ago Jillian Berger and Haley Thompson tell us more nothing nothing nothing a kid with lead poisoning presents with nothing we have to scream we have to check there are no real signs of lead poisoning But as time goes by and the children are Flint get older the exposed kids can get anemia have slowed bone growth loss of their developmental skills and many other terrifying repercussions lead it is the most damning thing you can do to a kid um it affects their entire life course trajectory it lowers their IQ it creates behavior problems it decreases their lifetime earnings it's it's bad not if your child has ingested or how much lettuce scary but there is a simple way to get them tested so if a parent is concerned and they live in the city Flint go to your doctor check you know ask to get the blood level checked infants are at an even higher risk because they aren't screened until a specific age the number of kids affected could be much larger than anyone realizes and that means that many more kids who are screened after their levels have dropped will be affected by this water these results underestimate the potential risk we do not screen infants for lead months had passed from when the lead was first discovered to when it became an issue and homes are not the only places that have been affected through this time span 5,400 kids have been using and drinking this lead poisoned water while they're at school now we also do a lot of work with um smaller children in Flint my husband and I through our church and when I look at their faces every week a lot of them are already struggling with learning disabilities and then to Heap lead on top of them it's just a very sad thing Eisenhower and Freeman Elementary as well as brownwell stemies were the schools with the most elevated levels in the Flint area they are located in the zip codes with the highest water lead levels in Flint Freeman Elementary attested over six times the federal limit after these findings the state called an emergency for students to get their blood tested we noticed uh even more striking results there before the switch the percentage of kids with elevated blood levels was 2.5% and after the switch it was 6.3% the realization of increased lead exposure and a rise in the number of children with elevated blood Le levels was devast ating for our community these results shocked the public and sparked the government's plan of action I could hardly sleep knowing that our youngest and most vulnerable children could be at greater risk our utmost priority at the State of Michigan the depit health services is to prevent lead poisoning in children and we are going down that path today home it's the place you feel saf as at no matter what happens but for people living in Flint this is no longer the case s Brandt and her 2-year-old daughter Vanna know this all too well it makes me kind of scared cuz you're supposed to be able to trust the water that you drink but I don't know the state let us down like many other concerned parents she got her daughter tested soon after the lead announcement was made she's fine we haven't been drinking the water at all since August of last year for a young child routine is everything and the Water Crisis has forced them to change theirs we don't brush her teeth at the bathroom sink we brush them at the kitchen sink cuz that's where our filter is not only does she have to worry about this change in their schedule she now has to worry about their new financial burden that has been imposed on them to try to manage this problem well I have to pay for my water now and the cooler cost me I don't know 80 bucks and it cost me like $8 every time to fill it up and we drink water all the time just like many others in Flint SATA feels that even after the switch back the water will still be contaminated well the only way that's going to get fixed is if they fix the pipes at this point because they've already corroded the pipes away so badly that there's lead going to be in our water regardless for now SATA and the rest of Flint remain on a daily search for clean water for many of these families finding alternate sources of water is difficult with a tight budget and an empty wallet thankfully Charities have filled that Gap without them thousands would still be without clean water or resources to get them drinkable water Alex Wendell and biley tasa have this story while the people of Flint were struggling with the lead problem many Charities and individuals came together to help out uh we know that Flint needs a sustainable and secure water supply for today and into the future and this is what we are absolutely committed to many Flint locals have been dealing with this problem for a long time and desperately needed the relief my children and I have been drinking bottled water for probably over a year now but I'm happy that everybody is now on the same page as far as the health concerned of the citizens in Flint especially our children Bendel beer and even Davidson donated to the cause but not only did Flint's neighbors donate there was also a flood of donations Statewide a couple of folks from the Birch Run area for example drive down and bring water uh even though they're not associated with the school system or the Flint Community companies like zero water Sams United Way and more reached out to donate water filters bottled water and money for Flint Community Schools the jese Valley Mall hosted a water drive and received over 100,000 bottles of water we've had individual uh citizens come up with three and four cases of water in their trunks uh we've had businesses come with pickup trucks and 40 cases um a lot of the vendors that we work with here at the shopping center are donating um of course we're donating as well and at the U ofm Flint campus United Way and their partnering organizations gave away 4,000 water filters to low-income families marching amp moving donated over 300 cases of water and help transport it all so far hundreds of thousands of bottles of water have been donated and the numbers are climbing so much that the schools aren't even counting anymore with all the problems that people of Flint have come to deal with some still choose to stay positive there are constantly always new resources that are out there that are looking to help so in the midst of a lot of trouble there are also a lot of answers but even with these Hefty donations some locals are not very happy about the dent this crisis has left in their wallet I don't think that we need to be paying as much as we pay for it for our kids to get lead poisoning and chlorine and diarrhea from it and everything else as important as Charities are it just doesn't fix the problem and people have been taking to the streets to voice their adversity since the beginning the biggest issue of this whole emergency is that no one seem to be listening Jordan Bruns tells us why lives matter the people of Flint have had enough many have been campaigning since the initial switch from Detroit Water literally I could tell the day that the switch over hit my pipes because the moment that I took a shower it would switch about every two days one day it would smell like straight river water and the very next day it would smell like you were swimming in a swimming pool well the day we went on to Flint City Water I was like nobody drink this water at all I researched it and we started using bottle water immediately the people of Flint much like you and I depend on the basic need of water many of whom have gone with undrinkable water since the switch over this is from my faucet um over by the fent and Aon area this is actually lead lead Laden I had it tested and it come back positive for lead so that's what this is if I let it sit here all the particles will sit and float at the bottom and it all just sink as bad as the water may be people are most worried about how it's affecting their children they're leaving us no option but to use this this is our option these are our children's option and that's why I'm here because no child should have to drink this what's worse is that the people of Flint are having to pay more for water they can't use our water prices have skyrocketed we spend approximately $80 to $90 a month on bottled water if you live in flant you're not a wealthy person that's why you're living there and then to find out there was lead I mean we were still making ice cubes from it and I feel really guilty that my kids have been exposed to lead for about 18 months now for some the actions that the government has taken are just not enough that infrastructure is still there the problem is still there part of the solution is because we can't keep putting bad water in there and think we going to get good results so we got to get good water that's the first thing but we got to fix the infrastructure we got to fix the p and we got to fix the damage that has been done to the citizens of Flint Michigan I drank it for a while unfortunately you know I when when when the state said that the tthm level was under control I believed him you know and thank God I never let my child uh drink the water I used bottled water for the last 10 weeks but a lot of other people took them at their word and you know that's just not acceptable the outcry of the people lasted for months they were waiting for someone to listen after countless hours days and weeks of protests the people spending day and night in the hot and cold to fight back finally won a small victory for 174 days the community waited desperately for government officials to switch back to the Detroit Water System although the initial switch to Flint's water source was a cheaper option the health risk that came was an expense that Flint could not afford this was a crisis that should have never happened in the first place finally on October 16th danne Walling announced the final action to switch back to the source they should have never left but the switch wasn't free $12 million was needed with the joint efforts of the state giving 6 million Flint city government giving 2 million and the mat Foundation giving 4 million and efforts to bring Safe Drinking Water back to Flint but is the switch back enough to fix the problems that it caused I think the health the health portion of it fell short I mean so short that it's not even on the same playing field testing of our young people and our kids is very important and I think they need to have an aggressive plan to get into schools and test kids for lead exposure until they do that uh all of this all of the switching or whatever they do is going to fall short if if lives are impacted by poor Health Quality as it related to the water in a lead issue absolutely not they're not doing enough no having a corrosion control plan to begin with before you switched over the water that would have been doing enough you know having any kind of a plan we're the we're the only city in the United States that doesn't have a corrosion control plan for some of the most corrosive water that you could get in this area it's ridiculous no they're not doing enough no absolutely not finally after months of struggle The Dominoes began to fall and someone had taken the blame on October 19th DEQ director Dan Wyant reassigned Lan Shor Smith the chief of the deq's drinking water office the Michigan DEQ had been using the wrong standards for the water going through the system instead of treating the water for a city of 100,000 the size of Flint the levels were set for only a city of 50,000 which left out crucial corrosion controls that would have stopped the lead found in Old pipes from leaching into the drinking water on October 19th Howard Croft resigned as the Director of the Flint Department of Public Works he was the chief staff member overseeing the Flint Water Project then the issue became National at the urging of State politicians the US EPA started involvement November 10th as they announced they'll be conducting a full review on the crisis the results will not be complete until the fall of next year following a few days later November 13th families and Flint finally fought back the first lawsuit was filed against Governor Snider and the Chiefs of Staff for the health problems caused by the emergency and now we look towards what is in store for the future of Flint Jordan Hancock tells us more for the time being the future of Flint water plan is a coin toss at this moment what may or may not come before us is incredibly Bleak no one can agree on where this all started or who's responsible was it the local government's fault the deq's fault the state government or is it the federal government who's at fault no one was asked citizens weren't asked the the council wasn't asked was this a good decision and almost immediately boil water advisories tthm and then the cream to cream L everybody lead will linger for the foreseeable future the effects the threat it'll all be there even after we believe we've solved all of Flint's water problems and I asked you know Flint City officials everybody who had a hand involved is that what you want for your children and your grandchildren because that's what it comes down to this is what we're leaving our Legacy for for the children children with lead poisoning won't be helped until after their blood tests are examin and by then the stages of their illness may already be severe even a short exposure to lead can lead to irreversible permanent damage you know we tell them to we their helmet because we don't want them to get in our ICU upstairs with a head injury because we want F kids to grow up to be amazing we don't want any additional barriers in their way and this is just a potential additional barrier to their lifelong achievement and the children and Flint have enough to worry about already the people have spoken up and taken action they filed a class action lawsuit a class action lawsuit could mean serious legal trouble for everyone involved and it will prolong the effects of this disastrous event fix everything that's been done before now hasn't solved the problem Flint is left with only one option I Karen W Weaver mayor of the city of Flint declare a state of emergency in the city of Flint this was effective December 14th 2015 we need state and federal assistance for the people to feel comfortable we need some help after all this time has passed and all these events have taken place the water is still poisoned to the Flint Community the lead Remains the threat still looms the fear lingers the water is still undrinkable with no resolution in sight it's not quite certain just how long this crisis will continue a new Administration could tighten things down in the vehicle City but for the time being Flint is still in the midst of a problem that will Define themselves for years maybe even decades to come [Music]