Flint Still Fights for Clean Water

Vocab level: C1

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We begin in Flint, Michigan, where the Environmental Protection Agency says the water is now finally safe after more than a decade since the city's historic water crisis began.

For their part, though, residents disagree, saying they're still dealing with contaminated water and long-term health issues.

Imagine not being able to drink the water from your faucet or take a shower in your own home without being at a health risk.

Back in 2014, residents noticed changes in their water's color, smell, and taste after officials switched the city's water supply to the Flint River.

Tests revealed the switch was corroding the city's aging lead pipes, exposing residents to dangerous levels of lead.

Lead exposure has been linked to developmental delays in kids, speech and behavioral issues, even brain damage.

The people who decided to stay in Flint were left without clean water for years,

suffering from health issues ranging from seizures to Legionnaire's disease,

(a severe type of pneumonia caused by drinking contaminated water).

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Flint Still Fights for Clean Water

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