3-Month Testing Ordered by EPA for New Flint Water

The ongoing Flint water crisis was caused by one of the most destructive forces in any industrialized society: corrosion. When the city of Flint changed its water supply several years ago to the Flint River, officials failed to treat the water to prevent corrosion in old lead pipes, releasing the toxic element directly into the drinking water. It was a decision that had fateful consequences for entire generations of Flint residents.

According to the American Chemical Society’s publication Chemical and Engineering News:

Problems with the city?s tap water started the summer after the switch. First, residents noticed foul-tasting, reddish water coming out of their taps. In August and September, the city issued alerts about Escherichia coli contamination and told people to boil the water before using it. A General Motors plant stopped using the water in October because it was corroding steel parts.

Now, a new pipeline running water to Flint, Michigan, from Lake Huron will be required to undergo a three-month testing period to ensure the safety of the water. The testing was ordered by the EPA to ensure the water’s quality before it’s delivered to residents of the community.

The EPA recently ordered the city to create a new treatment plan for their water source and submit it to state regulators. This process will ensure the city is taking the proper steps to protect its citizens. Once the new pipeline has been connected to the water treatment facility in Flint, the three-month testing period will begin. This all must occur before the water is provided to residents.

“Given the harmful effects of the source water switch in April of 2014, it is critical that any future changes in source water for the city be properly planned,” EPA Region 5 Administrator Robert Kaplan said in a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder.

The Flint water crisis is just one particularly grim example of how corrosion can wreak havoc in an industrialized society.

Industrial Coatings, Metal Coatings And Corrosion in the 21st Century

Corrosion occurs when a metal is exposed to water or corrosive chemicals, which results in oxidation and often the release of harmful chemicals.

Industrial coatings, such as metal coatings, can provide a solution to corrosion, as they are designed not to react with corrosive materials. Even moisture has little to no effect on these hard coatings.

Thanks in large part to high demand for anti-corrosive coatings, the market for industrial maintenance coatings is valued at $1.3 billion. Check out this website for more.