The Stream, November 12, 2021: Flint Residents Impacted By Lead Water Crisis Awarded $626 Million

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• A major reservoir in Syria is completely empty for the first time in history.
• Rising water levels in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley are impacting wildlife and impacting an already struggling tourist industry.
• A federal judge approves a multi-million-dollar settlement for people impacted by the Flint water crisis.
• More heavy rain will hit New South Wales this week after officials carried out several rescue operations for those caught in flash floods.

Water levels on rivers and lakes in Manitoba, Canada are decreasing rapidly.

“If we don’t get above-average snowfall coming out of this winter we could conceivably see catastrophic results.” – Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Shuler. CTV News Winnipeg reports that low water levels in rivers and lakes in Manitoba, Canada are worrying officials. Shuler said the drought, which has created water scarcity throughout the province, has been especially hard on the agricultural industry, which relies on the water for irrigation. The abnormally dry conditions have also begun to impact Manitoba’s hydroelectricity generation.

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:  

Households Still Have Not Received Aid from New Federal Water Bill Assistance Program – A new federal assistance program is slow to launch. At least one state is turning to other pots of money to help residents with overdue water bills.

HotSpots H2O: World Spending on Climate Adaptation Must Increase Five- or Tenfold – While climate adaptation planning is more widespread than ever, the U.N. says the gap between current spending and needed funding is enormous, and widening.

Major Syrian Reservoir Goes Dry For First Time in History

The Al-Duwaysat Dam reservoir is completely empty, Syrian officials told the news agency AFP. This is the first time the reservoir, which is a major source of irrigation for thousands of area farmers, has dried up in its 27-year history. Ongoing drought seems to be the major source of water scarcity within the reservoir, although managing engineer Maher al-Hussein said damage to the reservoir’s main pipeline has also led to significant leaks.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

379,935 PEOPLE

Rising waters in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley have put an estimated 379,935 people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. A new report from the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry in partnership with the United Nations Development Program found that rising waters—driven mostly by climate change—are killing off wildlife and vegetation. The change to the ecosystem has also impacted the local tourism industry, which has already decreased due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

$626 MILLION

A federal judge approved a $626 million settlement for Flint residents affected by a lead water crisis in 2014. The Associated Press reports that more than 95 percent of the funds will come from the state of Michigan, which has been accused of repeatedly overlooking threats to the city’s water supply.

ON THE RADAR

Meteorologists are predicting more heavy rainfall throughout New South Wales after officials reported several people had been rescued from flash floods this week, according to ABC News. Multiple rivers throughout the Australian state are expected to overflow as thunderstorms continue. The rain is a bad sign for area farmers, who are in the middle of harvest season.

Jane Johnston

Jane is a Communications Associate for Circle of Blue. She writes The Stream and has covered domestic and international water issues for Circle of Blue. She is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, where she studied Multimedia Journalism and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her time at Grand Valley, she was the host of the Community Service Learning Center podcast Be the Change. Currently based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jane enjoys listening to music, reading and spending time outdoors.