FLINT, Mich. — It's been more than a year since Darcie Burch has trusted the water coming from her faucets. As Flint's water crisis continues, the reality of being unable to drink the water she pays for leaves Burch with a feeling of disbelief.
"It's sad," Burch said. "I never thought in a million years the City of Flint would be like this." Born and raised in Flint, she first began to notice a problem with the quality of her water when she smelled chemicals in the water and noticed it in the taste.
"Out of habit, I turn that faucet on, get a cold glass of water, and then realize the taste. It was horrible," she said. "When you go to brush your teeth, there was a film left on your teeth. It was horrid."
Daily activities like cooking, cleaning dishes, and even brushing her teeth in the morning became a burden, since Burch now uses bottled water for all activities.
"(A pack of bottled water) lasts me about a week, if that," Burch told FOX 17. "I go every day to get a pack of water."
Before the Michigan National Guard was brought in to distribute free water to residents, Burch was forced to pay for bottled water herself. "I was spending 50 to 60 dollars extra a month, because I have myself and my dogs," she said. "I have no children. My dogs are my children and I refuse to give them the water because of the lead."
Burch said the contaminated water has left its mark in her kitchen sink and in the bathtub she just refinished.
"It stained it. It leaves a film and black (stain) on it that you can't get out," she said.
But the final straw for Burch was turning on her shower faucet to find discolored water.
"I was mad. The first time it did it I thought 'okay, maybe it sat.' I understand water sits in the pipes, but not every time I turn the water on."
"We've lost a lot of people now that have moved out of the city, and now my personal opinion is that it's going to destroy this city. It's going to become a ghost town," Burch said.
For a complete list of water and filter pickup locations in Flint, visit the State of Michigan's online water resource center.
