The Story
Another Michigan city has been hit with a water crisis.
Catch me up.
First, there was Flint in 2014. Officials switched the city's water source to save money and failed to treat it properly – resulting in corroded pipes that leaked lead into people’s water. (Note: Even low levels of lead exposure can damage the nervous system and affect learning and development.) 12 people died from Legionnaires' disease. The crisis was just one example of systemic racism in the state. Now, Benton Harbor – a majority-Black city – is in the news for a similar crisis.
What's going on there?
Benton Harbor reportedly sources its water from Lake Michigan. Since 2018, its residents have been dealing with high levels of lead in their drinking water. Higher than Flint's. Residents say officials turned a blind eye until activists' calls became too loud to ignore. Just this month, they told residents to switch to bottled water for things like drinking, cooking, and brushing their teeth. And said they'd make free bottled water more widely available.
Why does this keep happening?
In part because of lead pipes. Benton Harbor has nearly 6,000 service lines. More than half of them are reportedly believed or known to have links to lead contamination. And only 2% are confirmed to be lead-free. Michigan's 2022 state budget set $10 million to replace lead pipes. But it’ll take years. About 100 lines are set to be replaced by next spring...compared to about 20,000 service lines that Newark, New Jersey’s been able to replace since 2019.
What are people saying?
The state said it’s working with other agencies to provide water filters to every Benton Harbor resident. And that protecting residents is a “top priority.” But residents are tired of fighting to fix a problem they've had to deal with for years. And reportedly called it environmental injustice, spurred by racism. Now, activists are calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to declare a state of emergency to speed up her proposal to replace the city’s pipes in five years.
theSkimm
Thousands are being affected by Michigan’s latest crisis. But while the state promises change, residents are forced to fend for themselves to get access to the most basic of resources: water.
