Author(s)

Tyra Blair, Ryan Beni^*, Sujata Guha

Department of Chemistry, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, USA.

Water is one of the most essential resources required to sustain life. However, it could be detrimental to the health of those without access to water that is properly treated. Although the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 set regulations to protect citizens from naturally occurring and man-made contaminants, some people are still without clean and safe water, which is speculated to be because of their race. This research examines the disproportionality of available clean water provided by government sources in Michigan and its correlation with race and household income. In the study, it has been found that one of the leading causes of water contamination is industrial activity, with the automobile industry being responsible for approximately 300 million tons of lead contamination in water, and that the manufacturing company’s locations mostly centered in minority and low-income areas. Lower income cities, such as Hamtramck and Benton Harbor, have an average of 14.8 drinking water standard violations with the highest being 99 total violations, while higher income cities, like Novi and Bloomfield hills, have an average of 4 violations. Cities, like Flint and Detroit, which have a higher minority population, are 10 times more likely to have a water standard violation, and the minority population is proportionally related to the possibility of industrial manufacturing being located in those areas. These communities also face a higher risk of birth defects, developmental issues in children, and organ failure in adults, due to continuous exposure to water contaminants. Race as a direct causation could not be proven, but there are links to direct correlation through historical redlining and housing trends.

Water Quality, Social Disparity, Michigan, Contaminants, Household Income, Income per Capita, Environmental Justice, Automobile Industry

Blair, T. , Beni, R. and Guha, S. (2022) Diversifying Clean Water: An Examination of Drinking Water Quality and Social Disparities in Michigan. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 10, 125-138. doi: 10.4236/gep.2022.105010.