Flint Water Crisis ED MEANS President Means Consulting

Flint Water Crisis ED MEANS President, Means Consulting, LLC. o 949 439 9120 e edmeans@roadrunner. com August, 2016

Overview • Sources of Lead • Health Effects of Lead Exposure • Managing Lead exposure in drinking water systems • Lead and Copper Rule • Background of Flint Michigan Water Supply • Summary and Conclusion

History of Lead Usage

Lead Facts • Highly malleable member of the metal elements • Symbol for lead is Pb (Latin name for the metal, plumbum) • Very dense and resistant to corrosion • Toxic properties has been documented in writings from ancient Greek, Roman, and Chinese • Accumulates in the body in skeletal system and soft tissues • Four naturally occurring isotopes • Commonly found on Earth in ores of zinc, sliver, or copper • Wooden pencils have never actually contained lead. By Alchemist-hp (talk) (www. pse-mendelejew. de) - Own work, FAL, https: //commons. wikimedia. org/w/index. php? curid=12381318

Lead Usage – BC to Early AD • Earliest use date back to 7000 BC • Weights used by merchants, fishermen • Currency, contraceptive, glazing, figurines, • Face powders, rouge, mascara https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Lead • Condiment popular for seasoning and adulterating food • Wine preservative or disguising inferior vintages • Pewter cups, plates, pitchers, pots, pans, & other household artifacts • Piping material, especially used by Romans uk. pinterest. com https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Lead

Medieval Alchemists attempting to turn lead into gold https: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1 a/L'alchimiste_-_David_Teniers_the_Younger. png/1024 px-L'alchimiste__David_Teniers_the_Younger. png http: //aetherforce. com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/url-22. jpeg http: //static 1. businessinsider. com/image/55816580 ecad 04075053 bd 2 c/a-little-investing-alchemy-can-turn-bond-lead-into-gold. jpg

Lead Usage – Post 1800’s

Principal Uses of Lead – Worldwide in 2012* Consumption by Product – Annual Amount (tons) *International Lead Association

Principal Uses of Lead – Worldwide in 2012* • In 1897, Flint, Michigan passed an ordinance requiring the installation of lead service lines.

http: //www. ehatlas. ca/lead/public-health/biomonitoring-lead-levels https: //riversong. files. wordpress. com/2013/05/change-in-blood-levels-us-1976 -1999. png

Blood Lead Levels in Pennsylvania Other U. S. Cities have higher blood lead levels than Flint

Health Effects of Lead Exposure Lead exerts its toxic effect by two mechanisms binds to enzymes in the heme 1 synthesis pathway disrupts and interferes with calcium-dependent intracellular functions 1 deep-red iron-containing blood pigment Lead interferes with enzymes that help in the synthesis of vitamin D Lead alters the permeability of blood vessels and collagen synthesis

Health Effects of Lead Exposure • Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful to human health • Developmental neurotoxicity • High blood pressure • Carcinogenic • The degree of exposure depends on concentration, route of exposure, current medical condition and age. • Health experts state bathing in lead contaminated water is safe. • Dermal exposure not significant

Health Effects of Lead Exposure • Protecting children from exposure is highest priority. • No safe blood lead level in children has been identified by the CDC as a goal. • Experts use a reference level of 5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with high lead levels. • Blood levels increase 1 ug/DL for every 5 ppb in water… so threshold is exceeded at 25 ppb in water.

Lead and Copper Rule • Purpose • Protect public health from excessive lead and copper levels; primarily by reducing water corrosivity. • Basic Requirements • Water supplies must optimize their treatment system to control corrosion in customer’s plumbing. • Determine levels of lead and copper for customers who have lead service lines or lead-based solder in their plumbing system. • Rule out source water as source of significant lead levels. • If Action Levels are exceeded – • Suppliers must educate customers of means to reduce exposure. • Take additional measures to reduce corrosion including removal of lead service lines

Lead and Copper Rule (Cont. ) • No maximum contaminant level (MCL) exists for lead or copper, has Action Levels (AL) • Lead – 0. 015 mg/L (15 ppb) • Copper – 1. 3 mg/L • An AL exceedance is not a violation but can trigger other requirements that include water quality parameter (WQP) monitoring, corrosion control treatment (CCT), source water monitoring/treatment, public education, and lead service line replacement (LSLR).

Lead and Copper Rule (Cont. ) • Monitoring • Conduct investigations to identify materials used in distribution system and community plumbing. • Tiered sample collection emphasizing homes at greatest risk (solder-based plumbing, lead service lines).

Lead and Copper Rule (Cont. ) Lead Consumer Notice • Within 30 days of learning the results, all systems must provide individual lead tap results to people who receive water from sites that were sampled, regardless of whether the results exceed the lead AL. 116 pages of detailed instructions

Flint, Michigan - Background Persons below poverty level (2009 -2013): 41. 5% Since 2000, “Most Dangerous City in the US” 2011 -2015: State of financial emergency City of Flint is located 66 miles northwest of Detroit and is situated along the Flint River. 34 Square miles; ~100, 000 population; 1970 population = 200, 000 Original home of General Motors Source: Census 2010; NPE; Wikipedia

Flint Michigan Water Supply 1917 -67: Flint River 1967 - 2014: Lake Huron via Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept. - treated water 2014 (April): Flint River 2015 (Oct): Lake Huron via Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept. 2016 ? : Lake Huron via Karegnondi Water Authority – untreated water Lake Huron Flint River Karegnondi Water Pipeline Detroit Water Pipeline

Great Lakes Water Authority – Water Treatment Plant January 1, 2016 Great Lake Water Authority (GLWA) took over leadership of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) GLWA has five treatment plants including Port Huron Water Treatment Plant; this plant provides water to Flint The Port Huron Water Treatment Plant employs conventional chemically assisted flocculation and sedimentation systems. GLWA uses ortho-phosphate as the corrosion control inhibitor.

Flint River • Part of Saginaw River watershed • Decades of industrial pollution • 2004 Source Water Assessment determined that Flint River had very high susceptibility to potential contaminant sources • High levels of chlorides (due in part to road salt) • Highly corrosive • Virginia Tech estimated Flint River corrodes lead pipes at 19 times the rate of water from Lake Huron https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Saginawrivermap. png

Flint , MI – Water Treatment Plant • • City of Flint Water Treatment Plant was constructed in 1952, and renovated in April 2014 The treatment plant consists of an intake, low lift pumping, ozonation, rapid mix, flocculation, settling, softening, recarbonation, filtration, storage and high service pumping Since 1967, plant was used as backup to DWSD, only operated 20 days per year No anticorrosive agent was added to finished water leaving Flint Treatment Plant

Mineral passivation layer Before: Treated Detroit Water Phosphate corrosion inhibitor helps maintain a mineral passivation layer on inside of pipes protecting them from corrosion. With little corrosion, chlorine disinfectant levels remain stable. O Lead or iron pipe Phosphate corrosion inhibitor

After: Treated Flint River Water Lack of corrosion inhibitor, high chloride levels, and other factors cause the passivation layer to dissolve and fall off, leading to increased corrosion in pipes. As pipes corrode, chlorine disinfection breaks down. Oxides such as dissolved O 2 corrode pipes and leach soluble metal. Exposed iron reduces free chlorine used as disinfectant Lead pipe Iron corrosion leads to rust-colored water Iron pipe

Chronology of Key Events Apr 25, 2014: Switch is made to Flint River. April 25, 2014 “Flint Water is safe to drink” Jun 1, 2014: Flint residents begin complaining about the water (smell, taste and color), many say it makes them sick.

To be continued. . .