A study released by the The Hurley Medical Center, in Flint, Michigan, in September 2015, confirmed many parents’ fears: their children are being silently poisoned by lead. The report revealed that the number of children and infants with high levels of lead — a highly toxic heavy metal — in their systems has almost doubled since 2014, when the city opted to use the Flint River as a water source instead of the Detroit water system used prior to the switch.

The crisis originally reached a head following a Michigan state emergency declaration last month, but since Saturday when President Obama declared the situation a national emergency, much of the US public is finally waking up. Some residents have taken legal action by filing a class-action federal lawsuit against the city, state, and officials responsible for putting the health and safety of their families at risk by exposing them to drinking water that is highly toxic. There are no simple solutions and they expect the problem to persist at least a year or more as efforts to correct the issue are put into place.

The lawsuit states: “For more than 18 months, state and local government officials ignored irrefutable evidence that the water pumped from the Flint River exposed [city residents] to extreme toxicity. The deliberately false denials about the safety of the Flint River water was as deadly as it was arrogant."

Parents in the city of Flint have been taking their children to visit GPs and clinics for medical check ups for months, fueled by concerns that they are being poisoned. So, what are the symptoms and long-term consequences of lead exposure?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), symptoms of lead poisoning can initially materialize as changes in child behavior and learning disabilities. While exposure to lead can cause high blood pressure and kidney damage in adults, children are particularly vulnerable as they tend to absorb greater levels of lead — sometimes as much as five times the amount of adults exposed to the same source. Once lead enters the body it is dispersed throughout the system and can accumulate in organs of the body including the brain, bones, liver and kidneys,

"In particular, lead affects children’s brain development resulting in reduced intelligencequotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as shortening of attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment," says the WHO. "Lead exposure also causes anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible."

Residents began complaining about the quality of their drinking water, noting that it was cloudy and smelled bad, almost as soon as Flint began drawing the city’s water from the Flint River, and complaints have escalated ever since. While water officials initially tried to pacify residents and declared the water safe to drink, the state later issued a warning notice to inform residents that their drinking water contained high levels of trihalomethanes, a water contaminant that forms as a byproduct following treatment with chlorine, and which is associated with various diseases including cancer. The city then advised residents that children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with a weak immune system should consult their doctors as to whether it was safe for them to drink the water or to rather use an alternative source of drinking water.

For many residents who could not afford to use expensive bottled water as their sole source of drinking water indefinitely, their only option was to take their chances and revert back to tap water. However, most protested and petitioned for change. Water officials had originally planned to continue using the Flint River water source until later in 2016 while a new cost-effective pipeline was being constructed between Lake Huron (Detroit) and Flint, but in October, officials finally conceded to pressure from residents and reverted to the Detroit water system as Flint’s main source of water.

Following the declaration of a state of emergency, Flint officials are rallying around in damage control mode. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made 28,000 liters of bottled water available to residents via a local food bank. The city is offering to test residents water for free, and is also providing residents with water filters. Even celebrities such as Cher, and filmmakers such as Michael Moore and doing what they can to assist.

There are still concerns that in certain areas of the city unfiltered water could still be unsafe to drink. There are also concerns about the long-term effects of this exposure. In an article published in The Washington Post Flint Mayor, Karen Weaver aired her concerns, stating that the long-term health risks could “lead to a greater need for special education and mental health services, as well as developments in the juvenile justice system” in future.

The untold story is that this is not the last time we're going to hear about a municipal water crisis in the US such as this. Municipalities are always looking to save money, so we could easily see a similar event in the future. But more likely, with the many aging city water distribution systems that lack funding for updating and pipe replacements, we will see many smaller contamination events that don't national news, but have a continued and growing impact across our US towns and cities.

The bottom line is that lead contamination has serious long-term health effects. If you are concerned that your tap water may be contaminated, get it tested, and invest in a good quality drinking water filter that is capable of removing lead. The Big Berkey range of drinking water filters fitted with Black Berkey filters can reduce lead and other heavy metals by 99.9%+, and can also remove trihalomethanes and many other drinking water contaminants to ensure your family's safety.