Governor Plans Announcement On Troubled Flint Water System

Complaints about the quality of Flint’s drinking water have been escalating since the city switched from Detroit water to the Flint River previous year. A Virginia Tech researcher says there would be dramatic reductions in about a month if the Detroit water system is used. Both studies showed lead levels well above Environmental Protection Agency limits.

The plan calls for increased water testing, additional precautions for families with lead plumbing and long-term solutions to address the city’s water infrastructure challenges. Anything above 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood is now considered unsafe, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says any lead in the blood-especially in young children-can cause harm.

Earlier this week, Flint’s advisory committee suggested the city stop using the Flint River as its water source due to high levels of lead. They also said filters should be installed in homes.

The filters are being distributed to public assistance recipients and Flint residents through a partnership between the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department. “With the drinking water situation, we felt it could just cast a cloud over what we were trying to do”.