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LeeAnne Walters
Flint Water Crisis Whistleblower and Activist
Mother whose dogged advocacy exposed the Flint water crisis after her children suffered lead poisoning; ultimately triggering federal intervention and criminal charges against Michigan officials
Overview
LeeAnne Walters is a Flint; Michigan mother and water activist who played a pivotal role in exposing the Flint water crisis. In 2014; Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's emergency manager switched Flint's water supply from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the Flint River as a cost-cutting measure; without implementing corrosion control treatment required by the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule. Within months; the corrosive river water began leaching lead from Flint's aging pipes. Walters noticed her family's tap water was discolored and had a foul smell; and her children began losing hair and developing rashes. Testing of her home's water revealed lead levels of 104 parts per billion (ppb); and later 397 ppb; far exceeding the EPA action level of 15 ppb. One test recorded a staggering 13;200 ppb. Her twin sons were diagnosed with lead poisoning; and she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. When Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) dismissed her concerns and manipulated testing protocols to downplay lead levels; Walters contacted Dr. Marc Edwards at Virginia Tech; a nationally recognized expert in water quality. Edwards's team tested 252 Flint homes and confirmed widespread lead contamination. Walters also connected with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha; a Hurley Medical Center pediatrician who documented that the proportion of Flint children with elevated blood lead levels had doubled and in some neighborhoods tripled. The crisis exposed approximately 100;000 residents to lead-contaminated water for nearly two years before the state acknowledged the problem. Fifteen state and local officials were charged with crimes; including manslaughter (an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease linked to the water switch killed at least 12 people). Walters received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018 for her activism.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Not a perpetrator; Walters was the whistleblower who exposed the Flint water crisis after Michigan DEQ dismissed her concerns and manipulated testing data
Her children suffered lead poisoning (water tested at 13;200 ppb; EPA action level is 15 ppb) from the contaminated Flint water supply
Michigan DEQ officials attempted to discredit Walters by manipulating sampling protocols; including "pre-flushing" techniques to lower lead readings
Approximately 100;000 residents were exposed to lead-contaminated water for nearly two years before the state acknowledged the problem
Related Investigations (2)
Known Associates & Connections
Marc Edwards
Virginia Tech scientist Walters contacted to test Flint water; confirming widespread lead contamination
Mona Hanna-Attisha
Pediatrician who confirmed elevated blood lead levels in Flint children that Walters helped expose
Rick Snyder
Michigan Governor whose emergency manager authorized the water switch
Sources & Documentation
2 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
Education
Key Timeline
April 2014
Flint switches water supply from Detroit to Flint River without corrosion control treatment
Late 2014
Walters notices discolored; foul-smelling water; children develop rashes and lose hair
February 2015
Testing reveals lead levels of 104 ppb in Walters' home (EPA action level is 15 ppb)
March 2015
Follow-up test shows 397 ppb; later a test reads 13;200 ppb
April 2015
Walters contacts Dr. Marc Edwards at Virginia Tech; who organizes independent water testing
August 2015
Virginia Tech team confirms widespread lead contamination in 252 Flint homes
September 2015
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha publishes study showing doubled and tripled blood lead levels in Flint children
January 2016
Federal emergency declared in Flint after state finally acknowledges the crisis
2018
Walters receives the Goldman Environmental Prize for exposing the Flint water crisis