• silence7@slrpnk.netOP
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      2 days ago

      The problem started in 2014, when a state-appointed administrator took over and stopped measures which had been used to limit corrosion, sharply increasing peoples’ exposure to lead from the old pipes.

    • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      According to the article, this all started in 2014 when the city cut corners on the water quality to save money.

      • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
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        2 days ago

        Yes, but the city officials had their boss replaced by state with one who had a mandate to cut spending. Wikipedia does a better job of getting that part right:

        In April 2014, during a financial crisis, state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint’s water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River.[7] Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water, which resulted in lead from aging pipes leaching into the water supply, exposing around 100,000 residents to elevated lead levels.