In a very short period of time, the world as a whole and the United States, in particular, has become a very different place. The Corona Virus has changed things. Public health is at risk. This is a time when people look to our government for answers and direction. They need to be able to trust the information that is reported or spoken to them by governmental authorities and the news media. At this time in our history trust in these institutions is at an all-time low. We live in a world where the terms “alternate facts” and “fake news” are regularly used to confuse people or work to convince them that they should not believe what they are hearing. Many individuals read a post on Facebook or Twitter and take it as fact. This is true of people on both sides of every issue. If we don’t like the news, then we simply find a podcast, YouTube channel or television network that agrees with our point of view. Finding the truth is a little more complex than that.

This problem has been growing and expanding for many years. For those of us in the water industry looking for a reason to distrust the government, we need only to consider what happened in Flint, Michigan.  As with many things, no one set out to do a bad thing. A temporary switch of the water source from the Detroit water system to the Flint River was to be a short-term solution while the city was waiting for a new pipeline from Lake Huron to be completed. This was simply a cost-saving measure. Flint, being a financially distressed city under the control of the state of Michigan, was looking to reduce costs in any way possible. The switch was made, and it set in motion a series of events that resulted in people, especially innocent young children, being exposed to materials in their water that will have a profound effect on their health for the rest of their lives. This issue would not have happened in a location where people had more of a voice in their community or had more influence in government. This was a very poor, minority community with little voice or influence over the state or local agencies.

After the switch was made it was clear that the quality of water was a serious issue. The water was yellow, with a smell and taste that clearly should have made the decision-makers reconsider the Flint River as a water source and return to the Detroit water system. That did not happen and as a result of the chemical treatment used to make the water more aesthetically pleasing the city’s decision resulted in the crisis the city is still suffering from today. Instead of admitting their mistakes and correcting the problem, the government agencies which have been created to serve and protect the people, seemed through incompetence, ignorance, or simply a lack of compassion, unable to do their jobs. It is clear that long after the problem was detected by state and local officials, this information was not given to the public and as a result, more people were adversely affected. Medical professionals and the media were among the first groups who raised the alarm on this issue and got the word out. Criminal charges were filed and then dropped. The investigation is continuing and perhaps someday the citizens of Flint, Michigan will see some sort of justice and  someone will be held responsible for the completely unnecessary ordeal they were subjected to.

I recently saw a report on “60 Minutes” about the Flint situation. This segment showed that people were still waiting in line for hours for bottled water even though the city had assured its residents that the water was now safe to drink. One of the people watching the show with me remarked, “Why would someone waste their time waiting in line for water after being told that the water was safe to drink”. Perhaps the citizens of Flint remember another time they were told the water was safe to drink and it wasn’t. Trust in our institutions and our government is critical in crisis times and situations.

Our industry is built on the need to protect the public and supply clean safe drinking water. As a plumber for years we have been proud of the motto, “The Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation”. The same is true for people in the water and wastewater industries. We are all vital links in the protection of the public and in public health. In order to do our jobs, we need to understand that the work we do is many times simply taken for granted. In the past, people put their faith and trust in our public systems that supply the things most people take for granted: water, power, our health systems, and our education system, the list went on. That is no longer the case and there are many reasons to explain these feelings. Some of this is based on the failures of the system and we need to recognize that. When failures occur we need to be as transparent and truthful as possible and above all else admit and take responsibility for the mistakes or shortcomings that happen in any given situation. I also think that much of the problem is a result of the current rush to judgment and the search to find someone or some group to blame in every situation. Mistakes happen and at times the unexpected or unforeseeable crisis will take place. It is not a question of if; it is a question of when. When it does, we need to look for solutions, not simply a group or person to blame.  Hindsight is always 20/20 and it is easy to criticize the decisions that were made after all the information is available.

We as a society have become tribal in our thinking. The independent assessment of an issue, the researching of information, and even listening to other opinions seem to be unnecessary, out of reach or considered disloyal by many. If we wear blue, then red people are always wrong and if we wear red, blue people are always wrong. There can be no middle ground. We have been moving in this direction for a number of years in both government and society. The road has been getting more and more difficult to travel. We are headed to a bad place unless things change, and they change quickly.

It is time for a change, it is the time for people to remember we are all citizens of the world and we are all in this together. As an American and a student of history, I know that in the past, in times of crisis we have sometimes made mistakes. But I also know that in times of crisis we come together as a country and as a people. We take on problems and we solve them. We will solve this problem. We will make our country stronger and the world a better place. We will put this behind us. It will bring us together and we will protect the health of the nation and of the world. I know this crisis has changed our lives, our outlook, and our futures. I long for the day in the future when I can again spend time with my friends and family, when I can hug my grandson, Seamus, and my granddaughter, Eloise. As President John F. Kennedy said, “For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s futures. And we are all mortal”. President Kennedy was correct. We are all in this together.  Stay Safe My Friends.