The main cause that led to the incident was the switching from the water supply provided by the Detroit Water and Sewage Department to the services of the Flint Water Service Center. The latter plant was not fully operational since 1967 and served mainly as an alternative water source in case of emergency.
For this reason, the company experienced a shortage of good specialists, and the plant was not properly maintained. As a result, the plant failed to conduct proper pipe corrosion control, which led to high lead blood levels in many Flint citizens. Moreover, it did not add a sufficient amount of chlorine disinfectant to the water, which is believed to be the main reason behind the increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases.
As for the plant-level obligations, the managers’ duty was to ensure that the water delivered to the customers adhere to the safety standards developed by various agencies. For instance, according to the regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the level of lead in the water should not exceed 15 μg/L.