We recently heard and read a lot about the water problems in Flint, Michigan, and how celebrities ran fund-raisers, thousands of bottles of water were donated, and congressmen were very vocal, grilling the mayor and the governor about the poisoned water.

Meanwhile, deep in Appalachian coal country, there are various communities where the water has been undrinkable for more than a decade. A similar “do not drink the water” warning sign as was used in Flint has been posted above every drinking fountain in the Knott County Opportunity Centre in Kentucky, for instance.

Much of the drinking water in these communities is brown or yellow in colour, tastes like coal and smells like sulphur due to the coalmining that took place there years ago. In many of the counties in this area, drinking bottled water and serving only bottled water at schools has become a way of life because the tap water is so unpalatable and toxic.

Granted, the poisoning of Appalachia’s drinking water is not only as a result of mining, but also due to worn-out pipes, industrial waste, and various other causes. This is a problem that has existed for a very long time, as denoted in a 2009 New York Times article, which included an account of one family’s battle with bad water:

“Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs, and chest where the bathwater — polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals — caused painful rashes. Neighbors apply special lotions after showering because their skin burns. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.”

Residents eventually won a lawsuit against the county; there were regular deliveries of coolers or large barrels of clean drinking water, and eventually the state government buckled under the pressure and built a new pipeline to deliver better water.

This was an isolated case though, and the rest of the Appalachia has been largely ignored and continues to suffer with having to drink and bathe in contaminated water.

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