Like all 'crisis' in this day and age, this one too has been completely overblown. It is now nothing more than a money grab and political opportunism. It is an unfortunate event and lead is certainly something to be avoided but let's try to use a tiny bit of perspective.
Nearly anyone over the age of about 50 (that would be most everyone here), was exposed to lead contaminated water (not to mention lead paint and lead gasoline) for their entire childhood - not just a few months like those in Flint. Nobody was treating this stuff or monitoring it until the 70s. Yet, somehow we all seem to be doing OK
And there are no health issues in Flint residents today, only some nebulous predictions that something
might happen in the future based on elevated lead levels in blood of a small % of those tested.
Lead pipes from the city watermain to the house were considered a very desirable material from the early 1900s to the 1960s throughout the USA. Some houses used lead pipes in their homes rather than galvanized or copper (I'll bet some of these Flint homes built in the 30s and 40s still have active sections of lead). So why hasn't the City of Flint replaced all of the underground lead watermain connections? They've only had 50 years to get it done.
The blame for this is entirely on the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA. They are 100% responsible for approving and monitoring public water supplies. They are the ones who allowed water to be drawn from the Flint River without proper treatment. You can't blame the Mayor, the City Council or the Emergency Manager - if their recommendation to use the Flint River could not meet State/Federal standards, the DEQ and the EPA should have denied the permit. THEY are the water experts, not the politicians. That is their job. That's what we pay them for.