The Science of Flint's Water Crisis

Ok, Hank, slow things down a little bit.

The chemistry happening here is serious but incredibly important. It's a great application of Ksp if you get into that in chemistry (especially AP chemistry).

There's a coating of lead with orthophosphate...if you add enough orthophosphate to keep the coating constant. At least there should be that coating. There was before the water source switched because the Detroit water system added orthophoshpate.

Then there was too much chlorine in the water - river water picking up run-off salt. Then they added disinfectants with even more chlorine - which reacted with the iron and lead to inactivate the disinfectants and draw more lead into the water. So they added more chlorine.

And they caused a problem that they solved with more chlorine.

Good lord...

Five years on, and the problem isn't remotely solved yet.