Research Guides: Datathon 2018: Data Sources

Flint Water Data

Lead levels in Flint tap water - 2015
Dataset containing the levels of lead and copper from 70 samples. Items that were originally eliminated from the analysis by the DEQ are highlighted.
Source: Original data from FOIA request of NPR reporter, re-typed and entered into spreadsheet by Roxanne Katus, EMU.
Lead levels in Flint tap water - 2015-2016
Large dataset of water samples from Flint, mostly from 2016. Data contain street addresses, testing dates, and levels of lead and copper.
Lead levels in Flint water of day care and adult care facilities - 2017
Day Care Testing Follow Up - 2018
Results of lead & copper testing in Flint schools
Establishment Testing
Sentinel Data

With the except of one dataset, all Flint water data have been acquired from the Healthy Flint Research Coordination Center: Open Data Flint from ICPSR at https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/odf/studies/36955:

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. State of Michigan: Taking Action on Flint Water Test Results, 2015-2017. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2017-11-13. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36955.v1

Other Datasets

Great Lakes Water Authority Data
Data files showing minerals for raw and treated tap water from the Great Lakes Water Authority, the sewage and water treatment service center for many cities in southeast Michigan.
Source: Great Lakes Water Authority, personal communication (file emailed from GLWA representative)
Levels of macroinvertebrates found in the Huron River
Dataset containing the levels of macroinvertebrates (organisms lacking a backbone) in water samples at different testing points of the Huron River from 1994 to 2017. Certain organisms are indicator species for water quality and pollution.

Other sources of data

Flint Drinking Water Response
This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site has information on Flint's water quality. It includes sampling data. The EPA completed five sampling objectives to test different aspects of Flint's drinking water. Each effort involved collecting samples at locations throughout the city and submitting them for analysis in an EPA laboratory.

EPA continues to monitor chlorine on a biweekly basis and collect sequential samples for lead assessment on a bimonthly basis.
Flint Water Study
We are an independent research team from Virginia Tech (VT) volunteering our time, resources and expertise to help resolve scientific uncertainties associated with drinking water issues being reported in the City of Flint, MI.

Study Aims
a) To support citizen scientists concerned about public health, by empowering Flint residents and stakeholders with independent information about their tap water;

b) To study impacts of water age and current water quality on Flint’s water distribution systems as well as issues of elevated lead and opportunistic pathogens in premise plumbing (OPPPs),

c) To summarize findings from a and b to inform decision making and policy considerations, if necessary, on the part of both citizens and government agencies in the city,

d) To develop a comprehensive online repository (this website) as data and information become available.

For more info on the Flint Water Crisis...

Watch the NOVA Episode: Poisoned Water.