Hurley Doctors Say Stop Drinking Flint Water Immediately

After their own rounds of tests, doctors at Hurley Medical Center are advising residents to stop drinking Flint water immediately.

Flint's ongoing water woes have been well documented at this point, but the latest chapter is the discovery of lead contamination that occurs when the highly corrosive water eats away at older pipes. Now that we're a few weeks past that alarming discovery (which city officials may or may not have tried to quietly sweep under the rug), more tests are being done outside of the establishment and they're all bad.

The initial findings of Virginia Tech's study found that an alarming number of water samples from Flint homes contained dangerous amounts of lead. Now after conducting their own tests, doctors at Hurley Medical Center have concluded that the problem is so severe that senior citizens, pregnant women, and children need to stop using the water immediately. Their tests of babies and young children in the areas studied by Virginia Tech found excessive lead amounts in their blood, indicating that the lead levels are so high, they could cause irreversible memory loss and lowered IQ.

Please do not put your family at risk. Listen to the doctors and follow this situation as it continues to develop. The following statement was released by Congressman Dan Kildee earlier today:

“This new study showing elevated blood lead levels among Flint’s children is very troubling. People have the right to have confidence that their drinking water is safe. 

Immediate action needs to be taken by the State of Michigan to ensure that relief is provided to people who are concerned about lead levels in their water. Today as part of my ongoing efforts, I talked with the EPA Region 5 Administrator about the State of Michigan providing emergency assistance, including lead-clearing filters and bottled water, until a more permanent solution can be determined.

This new study by the medical community also raises additional doubts about prior water testing done by the DEQ and EPA that stated the water was in compliance with federal law. I have been completely unsatisfied with their answers to my questions regarding their testing methodology, which is why I have called for additional immediate independent and scientific testing to be done.