Imagine going to your faucet to get a drink of water when you notice it is discolored and has a terrible stench. This is exactly what the residents in Flint, Michigan have been experiencing. Flint is still dealing with its contaminated water supply, which exposed its residents to lead-laced water.

Since April 2014, the city has switched their water supply from Detroit to the Flint River. At that time, there was no contamination in the water because Detroit treated it with a chemical called orthophosphate, which acts as a barrier for lead.

The Flint River contained high amounts of the chemical chloride, which would make the pipes that were lined with lead particles flood into the water flow. Thus, there was a very high percentage of lead in the drinking water. So for, one year and eleven months the residents of Flint have been drinking contaminated water.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, has been in the political hot seat since the news broke about the contamination, prompting an emergency declaration from President Obama.

“I think it is unfair that residents were forced to switch to the new water, and that it caused so many issues,” said freshman Charlotte Smith.

Since the discovery of lead-laced water, the residents of Flint are now restricted to drinking bottled water. “People have been donating water for the Flint residents,” said Diane Misaras, a Detroit resident. Flint residents have gotten donations from all around the country, coming in from local churches to celebrities, and even different states.

The Michigan officials have known about this contamination incident since 2014, but did not release any information to the public upon attaining knowledge. “The people in Flint are feeling very betrayed and abandoned. They have no faith in the government authorities,” said Cathy Blasczcyk, a Detroit resident. In this matter, the government has failed to protect the health of its citizens, and with 100,000 Flint residents suffering from the contamination effects, the government has yet to ensure the health of Flint citizens.