Hillel Steinberg/Flickr (Mari Copeny); Rebecca Cook/Reuters (Flint water plant); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

“We Deserve Clean Water”

In 2014, a discolored, toxic liquid flowed from the faucets in Flint, Michigan. Meet the young girl who brought national attention to the city’s water crisis—and has been fighting for her community ever since.

By Anna Starecheski

From the December 2025/January 2026 Issue

Learning Objective: to synthesize key ideas from an article and an infographic

Lexiles: 940L, 780L

Featured Skill: Synthesis,

Standards

Listen to this story read aloud.

AS YOU READ

Think about your relationship to water.

“We Deserve Clean Water”

In 2014, a discolored, toxic liquid flowed from the faucets in Flint, Michigan. Meet the young girl who brought national attention to the city’s water crisis—and has been fighting for her community ever since.

By Anna Starecheski

How often do you think about water? If you’re lucky, you don’t think about it much at all. You just turn on the faucet and there it is: clean, clear, and ready to drink. But for millions of people, it’s not that simple. In fact, 46 million Americans live with water insecurity. That means they either don’t have access to water in their homes or their water is unsafe.

That’s the case for Mari Copeny, 18, of Flint, Michigan. She’s been thinking about clean water since she was in elementary school. That’s when Flint’s water crisis began.

For Mari, it all started with a bubble bath in the spring of 2014. Mari was 6, and she and her two younger siblings were splashing in the tub. But they quickly realized something was wrong with the water.
It smelled strange and burned their eyes and skin.

The Copenys didn’t know it at the time, but other families across Flint were also noticing smelly, discolored water. Many residents developed itchy rashes and painful stomach cramps. Some people’s hair began to fall out in clumps.

Flint residents sounded the alarm. They filled bottles with the toxic-looking water and brought them to city officials, who had been insisting that the water was safe to drink.

These officials were very wrong.

Flint’s water had turned poisonous.

How often do you think about water? If you’re lucky, you hardly ever think about it. You just turn on the faucet. Clean and clear water flows out. But for millions of people, it’s not that simple. In fact, 46 million

Americans live with water insecurity. That means they don’t have access to water in their homes. Or their water is unsafe.

That’s the case for Mari Copeny. She’s 18. She lives in Flint, Michigan. She’s been thinking about water since she was in elementary school. That’s when Flint’s water crisis began.

For Mari, it started with a bubble bath. It was spring 2014. Mari was 6. She and her two younger siblings were splashing in the tub. They realized something was wrong. The water smelled strange. It burned their eyes and skin.

Other families across Flint were also noticing smelly, discolored water. Many residents developed rashes and stomach cramps. Some people’s hair began to fall out.

Flint residents sounded the alarm. They filled bottles with the toxic-looking water. They brought them to city officials. The officials had said that Flint’s water was safe.

These officials were very wrong.

Flint’s water had turned poisonous.

Americans on average use 82 Gallons of water at home every day. That’s equal to more than 150 large soda bottles!

A City in Trouble

Flint is located about an hour’s drive from Detroit and has a current population of about 80,000 people. The city was once one of the biggest manufacturers of cars and auto parts in the U.S., making it a prosperous place to live. Car factories employed half of Flint’s residents in the 1970s, but when several of those factories closed in the 1980s and ’90s, the city’s financial problems began.

In the decades since, Flint has dealt with high rates of unemployment. In 2014, 41 percent of Flint residents were living in poverty, compared with about 15 percent nationwide. That year, Michigan state officials implemented a change that they said would save the city millions of dollars a year: They switched Flint’s source of water from Lake Huron to the Flint River.

That’s when the city’s tap water turned toxic.

The Flint River was polluted. More specifically, it was filled with corrosive contaminants like chloride, a chemical found in fertilizers and the salts that are sprinkled on icy roads. These contaminants ate away at the inside of Flint’s old lead pipes.

As a result, lead—an extremely toxic and dangerous metal—was leaching into the water as it flowed through the pipes to homes, schools, and businesses all over Flint.

Exposure to lead over time can result in lead poisoning, which can, in turn, cause serious and lifelong health problems, especially in children. These problems can include permanent brain damage and, in extreme cases, death.

At the first sign of the discolored water, people began to complain to city officials that something was wrong. But for 18 months, officials assured the people of Flint that the water was safe.

Flint is about an hour from Detroit and has a population of about 80,000 people. The city used to be a prosperous place to live. It was one of the biggest manufacturers of cars and auto parts in the U.S. In the 1970s, car factories employed half of Flint’s residents. But several of those factories closed in the 1980s and ’90s. The city soon faced financial problems.

Since then, Flint has had high rates of unemployment. In 2014, 41 percent of Flint residents were living in poverty, compared with about 15 percent nationwide. That year, Michigan state officials implemented a change. They said this change would save the city millions of dollars a year. They switched Flint’s source of water from Lake Huron to the Flint River.

That’s when the city’s tap water turned toxic.

The Flint River was polluted with corrosive contaminants like chloride. That’s a chemical found in fertilizers and in salts that are sprinkled on icy
roads. These contaminants ate away at the inside of Flint’s old
lead pipes.

As a result, lead from the pipes was leaching into the water that flowed to homes, schools, and businesses all over Flint. Lead is an extremely toxic and dangerous metal.

Exposure to lead over time can result in lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can cause serious and lifelong health problems, especially in children. People might suffer permanent brain damage. They might die.

People complained to city officials that something was wrong. But for 18 months, officials told people in Flint that the water was safe.

A Big Betrayal

By September 2015, it was clear that the people in charge weren’t going to admit there was a problem. So Flint residents took matters into their own hands. With help from scientists at Virginia Tech, they tested the water from 252 homes. More than 40 percent had enough lead in the water to be considered a “very serious” problem.

Around that same time, a local health center found that many children in Flint had high levels of lead in their blood. Doctors warned people to stop using the tap water in Flint—immediately.

These findings pushed officials to take action. In October, the county where Flint is located declared a public health emergency and told Flint residents to stop using the water.

It was too late to switch back to Flint’s original water source. The only way to end the crisis was to replace every corroded lead pipe in the city, which would take a lot of time—and money.

And nothing could change one devastating fact: For 18 months, 9,000 children, including Mari and her two siblings, had been exposed to water poisoned with lead.

By September 2015, it was clear that officials weren’t going to admit there was a problem. So Flint residents took action. With help from scientists at Virginia Tech, they tested the water from 252 homes. More than 40 percent had enough lead in the water to be considered a “very serious” problem.

A local health center also found that many children in Flint had high levels of lead in their blood. Doctors told people to stop using the tap water in Flint—immediately.

This pushed officials to finally do something. In October, the county where Flint is located declared a public health emergency. It told Flint residents to stop using the water.

It was too late to switch back to Flint’s original water source. To end the crisis, every corroded lead pipe in the city had to be replaced. That would take a lot of time—and money.

And nothing could change one devastating fact: For 18 months, 9,000 children, including Mari and her two siblings, had been exposed to water poisoned with lead.

1 in 4 people around the world do not have access to clean water.

“Dear President Obama”

By the time 2016 rolled around, the Copenys (and most other families in Flint) were using bottled water for bathing, cooking, and drinking. Mari, then 8, wanted to do something to help. She and her mom started posting videos on social media to call attention to what was happening in their city.

“I couldn’t sit back and watch my family suffer anymore,” Mari says. “Nobody was listening to the adults, so I decided to use my voice and speak out for the kids here. I wanted things to be fixed.”

Mari’s mom’s posts brought some attention to the crisis, but Mari wanted to reach someone who could really help. So she wrote a letter to the president at the time, President Barack Obama. She didn’t think he would read it, but she wanted to try.

Then one day, Mari received a letter from Obama himself. Not only had the president read her letter, but he was coming to Flint to meet her and to see the crisis for himself. “It felt unreal,” Mari remembers.

In May 2016, Obama flew to Flint to tour the city and meet with residents, including Mari and her family. His visit brought national attention to what was happening. Donations of money and bottled water were sent to the city. Volunteers went door-to-door passing out potable water. And Mari, the young girl who used her voice to speak up for the people of her city, went viral.

By 2016, the Copenys were using bottled water for bathing, cooking, and drinking. So were most other families in Flint. Mari was then 8 years old and wanted to do something to help. She and her mom started posting videos on social media about the water problems in Flint.

The posts brought some attention to the crisis. But Mari wanted to reach someone who could really help. So she wrote a letter to the president at the time, President Barack Obama. She didn’t think he would read it. But she wanted to try.

One day, Mari received a letter from Obama. The president had read her letter. He was coming to Flint to meet her and to see the crisis for himself. “It felt unreal,” Mari remembers.

In May 2016, Obama flew to Flint. He toured the city. He met with residents, including Mari and her family. His visit brought national attention to what was happening. Donations of money and bottled water were sent to the city. Volunteers went door-to-door passing out potable water. And Mari went viral.

Beyond Water

In the years since, Mari has grown—and so has her commitment to helping her community. When the state stopped supplying Flint residents with free bottled water in 2018, Mari stepped up. She raised more than $280,000 to provide more than 1 million bottles of water to families that still didn’t have clean tap water.

In 2019, she partnered with a company called Hydroviv to create a water filter made especially to filter out lead and other contaminants. She also raised money to send these filters to people in Flint—and across the U.S.—who needed them.

Mari’s work has gone beyond water, though. What’s most important to her is the children of her city, Flint. She purchases and gives away backpacks full of school supplies, toys at Christmas, candy at Halloween, and more. After all, kids don’t deserve just clean, safe water: Mari says that “kids in Flint deserve fun too.”

In the years since, Mari has grown—and so has her commitment to helping her community. The state stopped supplying Flint residents with free bottled water in 2018. So Mari stepped up. She raised more than $280,000 to provide more than 1 million bottles of water to residents.

In 2019, she partnered with a company called Hydroviv to create a water filter. It filters out lead and other contaminants. She raised money to send these filters to people in Flint—and across the U.S.—who needed them.

What’s most important to Mari is the children of Flint. She purchases and gives away backpacks full of school supplies, toys at Christmas, candy at Halloween, and more. After all, kids don’t deserve just clean, safe water. Mari says that “kids in Flint deserve fun too.”

There are more than 148,000 public water systems in the U.S., using more than 2 million miles of pipes.

“Flint Is Not Fixed”

So how are things in Flint now?

In July 2025, Flint announced that it had finally finished replacing all of the corroded lead pipes in the city. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also declared Flint’s water safe to drink. But residents are understandably skeptical. They’ve heard that before. And some people, including Mari, still have issues with their water.

“Yesterday, when I was taking a shower, my eyes started to burn from the water,” Mari said in July. Other Flint residents say that their water is still yellow and smelly, and many still use filters and bottled water.

“Until the day comes when I can put a glass under the tap and take a drink from my faucet without a filter, Flint is not fixed,” Mari says.

So how are things in Flint now?

In July 2025, Flint said it had finished replacing the corroded lead pipes in the city. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared Flint’s water safe to drink. But residents have heard that before. And some people, including Mari, still have issues with their water. So they are skeptical.

“Yesterday, when I was taking a shower, my eyes started to burn from the water,” Mari said in July. Other residents say that their water is still yellow and smelly. Many still use filters and bottled water.

“Until the day comes when I can put a glass under the tap and take a drink from my faucet without a filter, Flint is not fixed,” Mari says.

Speaking Up

It’s been almost 10 years since Mari wrote her letter to President Obama. Since then, the crisis has brought national attention to important public health issues, like access to safe water—not just in Flint but across America. It also led President Joe Biden to declare in 2024 that all lead pipes in the country should be replaced within the next 10 years.

Still, many children of Flint are facing health issues for life—all because of bad decisions made by adults. That’s why Mari thinks it’s important for young people to speak up about problems in their communities.

“We get pushed to the side a lot,” she says. “People make it seem like young people don’t care about anything. But we’re the most connected generation ever—of course we care. We deserve to have a voice.”

It’s been almost 10 years since Mari wrote to President Obama. Since then, the crisis has brought national attention to important public health issues, like access to safe water—not just in Flint but across America. In 2024, President Joe Biden declared that all lead pipes in the country should be replaced within the next 10 years.

Still, many children of Flint are facing health issues for life—all because of bad decisions made by adults. That’s why Mari thinks young people should speak up about problems in their communities.

Where Does Your Water Come From?

Read this before turning on your faucet.

The Numbers

9 out of 10

Americans get their water from public water systems. (Most others get it from private wells.

9 out of 10

Americans get their water from public water systems. (Most others get it from private wells.

$1,000

is how much the average American family spends on water costs each year.

$1,000

is how much the average American family spends on water costs each year.

2.2 million

Americans live in homes without running water or basic plumbing.

^{_{Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CDC Foundation}}

2.2 million

Americans live in homes without running water or basic plumbing.

^{_{Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CDC Foundation}}

Earth’s Water

71 percent of Earth is covered in water. But very little of it can be used by humans.

(Freshwater) 1% AVAILABLE FOR HUMAN USE

(Freshwater) 2% FROZEN

97% SALT WATER

^{_{Source: U.S. Geological Survey}}

71 percent of Earth is covered in water. But very little of it can be used by humans.

(Freshwater) 1% AVAILABLE FOR HUMAN USE

(Freshwater) 2% FROZEN

97% SALT WATER

^{_{Source: U.S. Geological Survey}}

The Steps:

How water gets to your home

1. The source: Most water systems get their water from surface water, like lakes or rivers. Others get their water from underground.

2. The treatment: The water is treated at a water treatment plant, where it’s cleaned with chemicals and filters to remove dirt and germs.

3. The distribution: Clean water is held in tanks until it’s pumped out to communities through large buried pipes called water mains. Smaller pipes carry the water to homes, businesses, and schools.

^{_{Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}}

1. The source: Most water systems get their water from surface water, like lakes or rivers. Others get their water from underground.

2. The treatment: The water is treated at a water treatment plant, where it’s cleaned with chemicals and filters to remove dirt and germs.

^{_{Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}}

How We Can Save Water

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. It can save 8 gallons of water per day!

Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. That can save 320 gallons of water each year!

Take a shorter shower. The average shower uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

^{_{Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}}

Take a shorter shower. The average shower uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

^{_{Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}}

Writing Prompt

How do you think differently about water after reading the article and the infographic? Use details from both texts to explain how your knowledge has grown or changed.

Writing Prompt

How do you think differently about water after reading the article and the infographic? Use details from both texts to explain how your knowledge has grown or changed.