Quote:
Originally Posted by Boreas
Not sure but I think it isn't the phosphates that comprise the coating but a biological coating that is encouraged to form by the presence of phosphates. This eutrophic effect of phosphates is why they're no longer allowed in detergents. I also think that the Flint River water was extremely - abnormally caustic - owing to a century of industrial pollution from once burgeoning Flint industry.
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I also read that the Michigan DEQ chose to use ferric chloride as a coagulant during water treatment to help remove organics, but that this anti-coagulant was known to be problematic for such pipes, particularly when the (essential) anti-corrosion treatment wasn't used.
Also, the Michigan DEQ deliberately discarded several high lead water samples whose inclusion with the other samples put Flint's water above the EPA action level for lead.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/14/us/fli...investigation/