In light of what is happening in Flint, I think it worth reminding people in Halifax (Canada) that this is a problem with governments everywhere.

In 2009, Halifax's sewage treatment plant failed: completely

It was years rebuilding, and for much of that time, with nowhere else to go, all effluent had to be dumbed straight into the harbour. Most residents are still not confident in the cleanliness of the harbour.

What caused it? Given the cronyism involved in the contracts, and the burying of the analysis by government, I doubt we'll ever really know; but my favourite story was that the original designs called for a safety overflow into the harbour. The City was adamant that the safety be removed, because under no circumstances was anything to be released into the harbour. When an overflow occured, and the safety was required, the end result was that instead of a week's worth of material ending up in the harbour, years were spent without any treatment of any kind.

A classic case of mandates without consideration for reality: aka Government.

A follow up article by the same author:
http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2011/11/28/sewage-plant-failure-design-error-coupled-with-electrical-configuration-problems