Have you ever wondered how much of your body is made of water? Scientists generally agree that 50-70% of the human body is comprised of water, but that it depends on gender, fitness level, and fatty tissue. Because we are comprised of mostly water, that is why we need clean safe drinking water.
In California we have been in drought for many years. It is not atypical to see signs along highways saying "No Water = No Work" indicating too that there is no work for migrant farm workers, their jobs have literally dried-up too. A couple acquaintances have ranches with dying fruit trees. They were lamenting in the fall that the ground is dry fifteen feet deep, that it would take several years of good rain. Though we've had an El Nino year so far, where I live in California we are still on mandatory water conservation efforts and our water supply nearly depleted. The rains haven't soaked in. Instead they have been merely superficial. We are looking at needing to use bottled water and already we have seen chromium and other metals entering the water supply through groundwater contamination due to the drought. We aren't alone in having difficulties with our water supply. Fracking supposedly causes trouble with water supply in pockets of the nation. Most notable for its water trouble currently is Michigan.
Water is such an essential element to life. It is intolerable that the people of Michigan were not initially told that their water was poisoned with lead. If anyone thinks of Disney's Mad Hatter, then, yeah, possibly there could be some humor in thinking of lead poisoning. That would be cruel. Throughout the United States any domicile with paint older than 1978 the landlord/rental company/seller is required by law to notify the people living on the premises because the ramifications of lead poisoning are severe. Lead causes kidney failure/problems, anemia, hearing loss, mental developmental issues, growth problems, behavior problems, weakness, weight loss, headaches, constipation, seizures and sleep issues.
Usually lead in the water supply is caused by older pipes. As a child my grandparents used to run the water for a few minutes to let the pipes clear of lead debris. They used only cold water. When time allowed the pipes were switched to a non lead material. These are the procedures recommended by state governments across the nation. The Michigan story is different. It began when Flint Michigan changed its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014. The water was supposedly brown and smelled. Residents of were told their water was safe even though the government took steps to purify water to state buildings for its employees.
Do you remember the old story about the beloved king who lived on the hill and his people who lived in the village below. Over time the people began to go crazy. The king and his men noticed it. They discovered that the village well had become contaminated and effected the people. The king because he so cared for his people drank from the well too so that he could be in solidarity with them. I guess old fashioned values have gone out the door. Maybe though, these values should be brought back.
There are a number of ways that the people of Flint and other effected areas in Michigan can be helped. A quick on-line search will give you a list of organizations who have people supplying water to residents and actively distributing water. There are still people in the area with access to water being denied because of lack of social security number or state drivers licences. Advocacy could help in that regard. Outside groups have helped already with the initial outside testing of the water. Other groups are setting-up funds for the children and others who will need medical attention now and in the future. If nothing else, may it be a wake-up call to each of us that in a first world country, stuff like this will happen if we aren't vigilant.
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