Final answer:
Residents of Flint, Michigan were exposed to lead in their drinking water following a switch to the Flint River as a water source in 2014, leading to permanent damage, including neurological harm in children.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lead from the water made Flint residents sick, causing permanent damage, particularly to children who suffered brain damage. In Flint, Michigan, a decision made in 2014 to switch the city's water supply from Detroit's municipal water to the Flint River led to the exposure of the community to corrosive water. This corrosive water, when flowing through Flint's aging lead pipes, resulted in lead leaching into the drinking water. As the National Institutes of Health studies confirm, this exposure caused significant harm, including the potential for permanent neurological damage in children, an outcome that has been observed with lead poisoning.