02-03-2016, 09:32 PM
^^^ They already knew that there was far too much chloride in the river. As you know, chloride is highly corrosive - it would wreak havoc on the old water pipe infrastructure, costing the city over a billion dollars in a few years down the road when a complete sewer system overhaul is needed. Hence the lead leaks from the corroded pipes.
It's not just the lead but the chlorine treatment (although the water company had to treat the water with as much as 10 times the amount of chlorine which was already very unsafe and exceeding the regulations, in the first place) that all disappears with so much iron oxide rust in the water from the pipes (which remove the chlorine from the water by the time it reaches the household).
Flint was in the process of building its own pipes for direct water supply from Lake Huron, by 2016. After the 50 year contract with Detroit expired, Flint certainly could have extended it by just 1 year instead of doing a complete switch-over (which was probably just as costly to do so). Detroit got greedy, then Flint had a knee-jerk reaction to it.
Instead, Flint decided to use its own river which required unsafe levels of chlorine to begin with.
Just today, FBI is now investigating the case (as to if laws were intentionally broken):
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/flint-w...is-n509686
We'll see soon, I guess.
Quote:Michigan Congresswoman Candice Miller also introduced a bill asking for $1 billion in federal funding to help replace Flint's underground water line infrastructure.
It's not just the lead but the chlorine treatment (although the water company had to treat the water with as much as 10 times the amount of chlorine which was already very unsafe and exceeding the regulations, in the first place) that all disappears with so much iron oxide rust in the water from the pipes (which remove the chlorine from the water by the time it reaches the household).
Flint was in the process of building its own pipes for direct water supply from Lake Huron, by 2016. After the 50 year contract with Detroit expired, Flint certainly could have extended it by just 1 year instead of doing a complete switch-over (which was probably just as costly to do so). Detroit got greedy, then Flint had a knee-jerk reaction to it.
Instead, Flint decided to use its own river which required unsafe levels of chlorine to begin with.
Just today, FBI is now investigating the case (as to if laws were intentionally broken):
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/flint-w...is-n509686
We'll see soon, I guess.
Quote:A 2011 study found that before water from the Flint River could be considered potable, it would need to be treated with an anti-corrosion agent, a measure that would have cost the state about $100 a day.
Experts say that water treatment would have prevented 90% of the problems with Flint's water.
Quote:The Flint River has significant sewage input, and if the treatment plant does not completely remove the bacteria and other dangers posed by the sewage, high coliforms and public health risks can result. The TTHMs are formed when naturally occurring organic compounds (i.e., decaying leaves and grass and plants) present in the water react with the free chlorine, which is added to destroy the fecal bacteria that may be present in the Flint River water (see Dr. Joan B. Rose’s guide to TTHMs in Flint Water). High TTHM levels are a health concern and are suspected to cause a wide array of health problems with long term exposure.
Quote:Flint residents complained that the water coming through their taps was brown and emitted a rank odor. In August 2014, officials found E. coli in the water and added extra chlorine to kill the bacteria. But that only made things worse.
The chlorine created a chemical byproduct called trihalomethane, or TTHM, a carcinogen that showed up in water samples throughout 2014. By Jan. 15, the levels were so high that, under federal law, officials had to notify the residents.