Flint, Michigan’s unsafe water cost the most in US

Thursday, a few hours after the Michigan House approved $30 million to help residents pay their water bills, Gov. Rick Snyder announced another $2 million to target line removal.

The governor, facing pressure from Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and national civil rights leaders for quicker action, said his ultimate goal is to replace the old pipes, but the state-funded study is needed to locate them and prioritize which ones to remove first. The Detroit News said state testing data showed only 7 percent of the 10,000 homes they studied still have lead levels above the federal safety standard, but residents have been urged to continue drinking bottled water.

A supplemental funding bill, pending final legislative approval, will allocate an additional $30 million to aid the city of Flint in crediting a portion of residents’ water bills going back to April 2014 for water that was unsuitable for consumption. Mary Lawston, a retired widow, said that she still struggles to pay between $172 and $214 a month for water she and her grandchildren can’t use. It would not cover the entirety of the charges for the foul and undrinkable water, but 65 percent for residential customers and 20 percent for businesses.

Disconnected drinking water pipes from Flint, showing iron corrosion and rust.

In a statement before Snyder’s event, Weaver said she would “not accept anything less than full removal of all lead pipes from our water system” and said Snyder should pressure legislators.

Food and Water Watch conducted its survey in January 2015 and found that, on average, prices from for-profit systems were almost $200 higher than public utilities.

WXYZ reported that more than 1,700 people have signed up with the attorneys as potential members for the suit.

Separately on Tuesday night, hundreds of people packed an informational meeting about lawsuits related to the water crisis.

In Flint, the water crisis was entirely man-made-officials chose to switch the water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to save money. Dykehouse used white paint that’s made with lead in the painting as a permanent reminder of children affected in Flint. McDaniel – who is assisting in coordinating activities between the city, the Lansing Board of Water and Light, state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders – said the project could begin within the next month.