Flint's residents mad over health

problems caused by changing water

By Detroit Free Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 01.21.16
Word Count 594

Carl Huntere, 48, of Flint, Michigan, walks home through the snow from the North End Soup Kitchen in Flint on Jan. 13,
2016, where he received a case of free bottled water. BOTTOM: Ariana Hawk, 25, is a single mother of three children
under the age of 10 living in Flint with her mother. She washes her middle child, Sincere Smith, 2, who is unable to bathe
with tap water. Regina H. Boone/Detroit Free Press/TNS.

FLINT, Mich. Ariana Hawk heated a bowl of bottled water in the microwave. She dipped
a washcloth in the water. Then she wiped her 2-year-old sons red and itchy skin.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Hawk said she has been cleaning his body with bottled water since last summer. The boys
doctor does not want him bathing in the tap water. The doctor said there are problems with
the tap water that comes out of the sink.

The boy's name is Sincere Smith. His skin problem started with a rash on his stomach after
Flint switched its water supply in April 2014. The city used to get its water from Lake
Huron. To save money, the city began using water from the Flint River, which is polluted.

Hawk blames the water for the childs suffering.

We get treated like we dont matter, she said. Thats how its been feeling.

Metal Pipes And Polluted Water

Other people in Flint also feel frustrated. Some of then stopped using the water
immediately after the change because of its smell, color and taste. Others continued to
drink and cook with it.

People, pets, even plants have been affected.

People in Flint feel betrayed, worried, angry, sad and stressed. The city has a population of
99,000. About 40,000 people in Flint are poor.

Flint River water is poisoned with lead. It came from the metal pipes that carry the river
water.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

People who have been exposed to lead may have health problems. Lead can affect
intelligence. It also can cause problems with speech, learning and behavior. Lead affects
children more than adults.

The city has found a dangerous rise in lead in children's blood.

Concerned About Children's Health

Pamela Battle has seven children. Before Monday, she was using water from her faucet to
cook. She also used the water to make bottles for her two youngest children.

We were drinking it regularly, Battle said. The whole family.

Battle went to a school last Tuesday with her kids to get their blood checked for lead. She
learned about lead poisoning and its effects on children.

Im really concerned now, she said.

Rick Snyder is the governor of Michigan. On Jan. 5, he declared an emergency in Flint.

The state is passing out free bottled water and water-testing kits. Members of the military
from the Michigan National Guard have been sent to Flint to help.

President Barack Obama has declared an emergency in Flint. He ordered the national
government to help.

Free Water And Supplies

Throughout last week, people lined up to pick up free water and testing kits at re stations.
More free supplies have been passed out door-to-door.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said more people are needed to help.

In October 2015, the city began using Lake Huron water again. People are still worried that
the water is poisonous. The water from the Flint River damaged the pipes. There needs to
be a major x of the pipes and water system.

Snyder has repeatedly apologized, but many say he has not done enough.

The apology is not going to help these kids, Hawk said. She said she does not know what
dangers her children may face because of the lead.

Weaver said that people no longer trust the government. Right now, the water system
needs to be xed, she said. There also needs to be long-term help for people in Flint for
the future, the mayor added.

We didnt deserve to be in this position, in this situation, she said.And what happened
here in Flint should never happen to any community.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3