Michigan City Declares State of Emergency Over Lead in Water

Benton Harbor, Mich. has found itself at the center of a water crisis – but this isn’t a new Flint.

Lead Contamination Water Crisis

With a population of 9,700 and lying to the southwest of the state, Benton Harbor is a low-income and predominately Black community. For years, it has battled the issues that arise from poverty and disinvestment. Now, Benton Harbor must also deal with elevated levels of lead contamination in its water. 

Unlike Flint, Mich. – where city officials made a series of deliberate decisions that led to toxic, contaminated water being piped to thousands of homes – the lead contamination in Benton Harbor is due to aging, broken pipework. 

How Lead Got into Benton Harbor’s Water

Like many similar towns nearby, Benton Harbor draws its water from Lake Michigan. However, the water runs through lead pipes that are in a poor state of repair, which leads directly to lead contamination. Another issue contributing to lead levels exceeding the federal threshold is the falling number of people using the water: Benton Harbor’s population is declining at a rate of -0.66% every year.  

Lead: No Safe Limit

Lead in drinking and cooking water has no safe limit. It can be deadly and is particularly harmful to children. Research tells us that children exposed to lead in drinking water can experience learning, growth and behavioral problems as a result. 

With reports of knowledge of lead contamination going back at least two years, the community feels understandably let down. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has visited Benton Harbor to speak with residents who have been affected by the lead contamination and hear their concerns.

“We will not rest until every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Benton Harbor’s Lead Contamination is a National Problem

In some respects, the emergency enveloping Benton Harbor is a microcosm of the countrywide problem of drinking water contamination. Repairing the 6,000 lead service lines isn’t an option – replacement is the only safe course of action, at an estimated cost of $30 million. 

Whitmer has ringfenced $19 million in state and federal money and is lobbying the Republican-controlled Legislature for the outstanding federal money needed to fix the problem. The good news for Benton Harbor residents is that work is underway and accelerating - 679 lines have been replaced at the time of writing and another 3,700 are set to be replaced within the year. 

The goal is to replace every lead pipeline by Spring 2023, and good progress is being made. One positive aspect of the local water crisis is that it has brought employment to the community with one third of the workers on the pipeline replacements made up of Benton Harbor residents.

But a year is a long time when you just want to be able to turn on the tap and pour out a glass of water for your kids, or for you to cook your family’s food. The state is continuing to provide free bottled water to residents for drinking and preparing food, but it’s far from ideal. 

Benton Harbor reflects the wider issues of drinking water contamination across the country, but for millions of people, there isn’t likely to be a swift resolution to their concerns. The issue is worsening and getting more unwieldy. The bill for fixing America’s waterways gets bigger by the week.

What can people do to make sure that the water they drink, the water that they give to their kids to drink, is safe and clean?

How to Make Tap Water Safe to Drink

Water filters and jug filters help a little. They can take out some contaminants and debris in the water. However, the reassurance that this style of filter can offer is limited, as jug filters are almost universally ill-equipped to tackle the most toxic contaminants present in the water.

Some people consider Reverse Osmosis water machines, but approach these with caution. While the process of Reverse Osmosis does remove contaminants, it strips everything else from the water as well. That means you are left with ‘dead’ water that contains no minerals – something that is pretty catastrophic from a health point of view. Indeed, the World Health Organization cautioned against the long-term use of Reverse Osmosis water machines for this very reason. Essentially, Reverse Osmosis is brilliant in an emergency – a war or conflict situation for example, when water infrastructure has been damaged – but it is far from an enduring solution.

Tyent Water Ionizers Remove 99% of Lead from Your Source Water

The answer is a water ionizer. A water ionizer is designed to remove contaminants from your source water, so that it’s clean and safe to drink. Unlike Reverse Osmosis machines, water ionizers do not remove vital minerals. However, choose your water ionizer carefully, as some do the job much better than others. 

Tyent water ionizers have consistently scooped the top industry awards for years. Why? It’s deceptively simple. We build the best water ionizers in the world and no other water ionizer company comes close. Tyent water ionizers contain our proprietary titanium, platinum-dipped Solid/Mesh Hybrid Plates - the most powerful in the industry. It’s this incredible power that produces high levels of therapeutic molecular hydrogen unmatched by any of our competitors. 

To match our plates, Tyent Water ionizers contain filtration technology that surpasses anything else on the market. Our state-of-the-art Ultra Plus filters have the same 0.1 micron level as hospital kidney dialysis machines and remove over 200 contaminants including up to 99% of lead, mercury, pharmaceuticals, and beryllium.

Our game-changing Tyent Chromium 6 Removal System is a 4-bank pre-filter that removes deadly toxins, including radioactive radium. 

We have also developed pre-filters that provide a tailored solution to your water needs. Our pre-filters remove uranium, fluoride and the cancer-linked chemical Chromium-6.

Finally, for your complete peace of mind, Tyent filters are certified by the NSF – the internationally recognized public health and safety organization.

Let’s Talk About Water Ionizers

Want to learn how to make sure that the water you and your family drink is clean and safe? Grab your FREE Water Report, then call our friendly team of experts at 855-TYENT-US (855-893-6887) to find out more!