What Happened?
The water source was contaminated with with lead. The crisis began in 2014 when the city switched its water source from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. The new water source was not properly treated, which caused lead to leach from the city's pipes into the water supply. This led to high levels of lead in the blood of Flint residents, particularly children, and numerous cases of Legionnaires' disease.