In 2014, city officials in Flint, Michigan switched their drinking water supply from Detroit's
system to the Flint River to save money. Poor treatment and testing of the water resulted in a
crisis. The health of many residents was affected, including the outbreak of Legionnaires'
disease (a severe form of pneumonia). City officials ignored the problem
for 18 months, but .
began testing the water supply once it caught the media's attention.
This monitoring was
important for identifying and treating the problem. The results of the
water tests are shown
below indicating the amounts of lead and copper found in parts per
billion (ppb).