Several weeks ago the national media started bringing attention to the water crisis in Flint.
A sick toddler, poisoned from toxic water, appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and the cable news networks are dedicating chunks of programming to interview local officials and residents and show videos of disgusting water.
The attention was warranted and needed. People are sick and the government was denying there was a problem. And now that the spotlight is on the city, the cogs of government are turning. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced he is seeking $28 million in state funding and President Obama set aside $80 million for Michigan infrastructure repair — though how much of that money will go to Flint has yet to be disclosed.
But here’s the bad news: The coverage of the water crisis is turning the image of the city as toxic as the water.
Flint is the town General Motors built and destroyed. It was once the home of Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and countless other startups-turned-giants. But most moved to Detroit and left an empty shell of a town behind. The city’s population dropped to around 99,000 from a high of 200,000 in the ‘60s.
Flint’s water crisis is the state government’s mess and it’s their responsibility to clean it up. But it’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs and private companies to make a difference.
Flint is surrounded by numerous suburbs that have fared better than the city proper. Some of these suburbs, such as Fenton, Grand Blanc and Davison, saw impressive growth the past several decades. None of the communities surrounding Flint switched to the new water source, but they will be directly affected by the toxic water all the same.
I live in one of these communities: Swartz Creek. It’s located seven miles to the west of Flint. I was born in Flint and raised in Swartz Creek where I graduated from the public school system. It’s still home. My kids attend Swartz Creek schools. I’ve worked for TechCrunch since 2008 from my home office.
Like most cities, the future of the surrounding area is largely determined by the success of the closest major city. In recent years, Flint has experienced bursts of revival but has largely been stagnant. The loss of over 70,000 General Motors jobs still looms over the city like smoke.
Local universities have been a source of life. The University of Michigan has expanded its footprint in Flint and now occupies a sizable chunk of the downtown area. Just to the west, Kettering University continues to expand into vacant land that once contained a General Motors factory. Then to the east, Mott Community Collage is constantly a source of local pride by offering affordable education and a basketball team that wins national titles.
Children in Flint’s schools cannot drink the water from drinking fountains. What parent will want their child to attend a school in a city that has toxic water? And what about athletes at these schools? Who is going to cool down in a refreshing lead shower?
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said the other day that the water is not safe to bathe a newborn in. What parent would want to put their child in Flint’s water even if it was reported to be safe?
In 2014 General Motors found the water so corrosive that it couldn’t use it to wash automotive parts — the water was eating the metal. That was two years ago. The Motor City was so bad that its water couldn’t be used to clean car parts. What business will move their employees to the region where pipes are leaking lead?
One of the two Flint hospitals discovered last year to have its water tainted by Legionnaires’ disease bacteria. Who would send their loved one to Flint hospitals or medical facilities for critical care when there are hospitals just outside of the city border?
Will home buyers seek certifications saying the water is safe or simply look for a home in a different city? I would opt for the latter, and I live here.
Trust is gone and the public perception is tainted. It will take longer to repair the city of Flint’s image than to repair the city’s water supply.
Flint’s water crisis is the state government’s mess and it’s their responsibility to clean it up. But it’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs and private companies to make a difference. The state of Michigan and city of Flint cannot fix everything nor should the citizens of Flint expect as much.
Trust is gone and the public perception is tainted. It will take longer to repair the city of Flint’s image than to repair the city’s water supply.
At this point, bottles of water are being shipped to Flint en masse and distributed by the National Guard, volunteers and law enforcement. That’s not sustainable. The city is also distributing water filters and replacement cartridges for use in the kitchen. Still there’s a trepidation to bath in the water or use it for brushing teeth. There’s quickly becoming a market for a whole-house water filter.
There’s an opportunity to advance pipe rehabilitation technology so the city doesn’t have to be dug up to manually replace every bit of old pipe.
The residents of Flint will need water tests and medical tests. They will need medical care. They will need improved education and they will need a reason to stay in Flint. Startups can’t solve all of these problems at once and I’m not so naive as to suggest that hosting a hackathon is the solution to Flint’s woes.
But I’ve seen the good that new energy can do to a broken city. I’ve seen Detroit rise from the literal ashes. I’ve seen small towns like Raleigh, Charleston, and Norfolk gain new life through entrepreneurial efforts. And I’ve seen the sure movement from old to new, from good to better, from fear to hope. Startups are part of that. They aren’t the entirety of it, but what else do we have?
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