“The conclusion we came to for why this is, is partly because Michigan is varied when it relates to where water comes from and flows to throughout different watersheds. There’s a huge focus on overall Great Lakes water quality, but maybe less so specifically on drinking water.”- Emily Huff, associate professor in the MSU Department of Forestry

Lead leaching from pipes into drinking water is an issue nationwide, though it is especially salient in Michigan, where the Flint water crisis became an infamous example of government failing to protect people from environmental health hazards.