Scientists from the university found that Flint River water contained high levels of chloride (a form of the element chlorine), which made the water highly corrosive, or chemically damaging. The issue was worsened by the fact that the proper corrosion-preventing chemicals weren’t added to the water when the source was changed to the Flint River, says Khalid Kadir, a water treatment expert at the University of California, Berkeley, who is not involved in the Flint case. The water ate away at the city’s lead pipes, causing the metal to leach into the water. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially in children (see The Effects of Lead Poisoning). 

After months of protest, the water supply was switched back to Lake Huron last October, but the corroded pipes aren’t repaired, and the city’s tap water is still unsafe.

People are angry about how the crisis was handled. Flint has a large black population and a high poverty rate. Many wonder if that’s why the water concerns were ignored for so long. Some  claim that officials knew about the lead problem but tried to downplay how dangerous it was. 

In February, the FBI announced that it was joining a criminal investigation into the crisis. The agency wants to find out if Michigan officials’ carelessness should be classified as a crime. Some officials involved have already resigned from their jobs. Experts are still working on a long-term solution to provide safe drinking water to the city.