Flint, Michigan has been in the middle of a water crisis for months, with residents not able to drink water. Now, fire trucks may not be able to use the water either.


The city of Flint, Michigan is in the middle of a serious crisis. Unemployment is one of the highest in the nation, one out of every 14 homes is vacant and the number goes up in different zip codes closer to the city center. Five zip codes have one in every 5 houses vacant.

On top of that, the water in the city is not drinkable. In an effort to save money, the city switched over to the Flint river as its water source. The water wasn't properly treated and the highly corrosive water scraped lead from the old pipes. Flint switched back to the Detroit water system, their previous one, but residents still fear for what that corrosive water is doing to their loved ones.

If the fire trucks in the city are any indication, the damage their water does isn't good. The city's fire chief David Cox Jr. said that one truck has only been in use for a year and a half and already has rust around the intake valve and the rubber seals have been damaged. This type of wear and tear usually isn't seen for at least a few years. Although the trucks are getting damaged, Cox reassured residents that this doesn't hinder the department's ability to fight fires.

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