Lead water pipes created a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic − as some cities are doing − carries hidden costs

Plastic water pipes may be cheaper, but they also come with risks Mark Bernard/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Flint, Michigan, made headlines in 2015 when tests revealed dangerously high lead levels in its drinking water. The city had switched its water supply to the Flint River a year earlier, and corrosive water had damaged aging lead pipes, exposing thousands of people to lead contamination.

The result was a human health crisis that residents are feeling the effects of to this day. And Flint was only the tip of the iceberg.