(April 20, 2016 at 10:55 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: It's my understanding the pH of the water is what corroded the pipes downstream from the water plant and released lead present in those pipes. The Flint River isn't 'leaded', so drinking water straight from the water department plant isn't dangerous. No filter needed.
Any house with PVC, water mains made of steel/cast iron/logs (Chicago has these) wouldn't be a problem. And JFC, who since the fucking Romans 2000 years ago used lead to make pipes? (the Roman pipes were actually safe since they had hard water that precipitated a protective coating inside the plumbing containing the lead content, BTW).
Am I missing something about the Flint River then ?
The Flint river itself has been found to have high levels of chloride, which seems to be the cause of the corrosion. I read another source that said the river is also tainted with sewage, farm run-off and industrial waste.
But yeah, the main problem is that the pipes were from the early 20th century and made of lead, and the river corroded the pipes which tainted the water. I don't think, however, the river is clean enough that anyone would have the confidence to drink it straight from the water plant.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
