Four years after the lead contamination of Flint, Michigan’s water supply, Governor Rick Snyder has announced that the state will no longer be providing free bottled water to residents of Flint. This announcement comes following reports that a testing of the city’s water has shown the water to be below the federal lead and copper limit, according to NBC.
In a statement, Governor Snyder said, “We have worked diligently to restore the water quality and the scientific data now proves the water system is stable and the need for bottled water has ended.” The most recent testing period, the Detroit Free Press reports, indicated that 90 percent of the sampled sites are at four parts per billion for the lead, which is under the 15 parts per billion required for federal action.
The bottled water was being distributed with $450 million of state and federal funding, but according to Flint’s WJRT, the distribution program is set to shut down over the course of the next few days now that supplies are said to have run out. Local churches and community centers are ramping up in preparation for the large crowds expected to be pouring in to get as much bottled water as possible now that the government will no longer be providing at the designated distribution points.
In a statement, senior adviser to Governor Snyder, Rich Baird, said that “bottled water may be ending but the state’s commitment to the residents of Flint remains strong.” According to NBC, the state will continue to provide free water filters, cartridges and water testing kits until all of the pipes in Flint have been replaced. A deal was also reached in a lawsuit between Michigan and school groups that could provide $4.1 million toward helping Flint children get necessary tests and screenings for any health effects the lead may have caused. This is a top priority for the community as there have been hundreds of cases of people developing illnesses from the use of the water infected by the lead in the Flint pipes, including damage to the nervous system and a Legionnaire’s disease outbreak that killed 12.
Despite the testing reports deeming it legally safe, the people of Flint are still apprehensive to use the water from the pipes in their homes after years of contaminated water. Flint resident Ariana Hawk spoke to local news station WJRT about her distrust of the tap water, saying, “I don’t trust the filter, I don’t trust the water. Everything that I and my kids do from cooking to boiling their water for a bath, we’re using bottled water, I do not trust anything.”
Debra Coleman, another resident, also stated that she would not be using the tap water regardless of the testing reports, saying, “I don’t trust the water. Period. It could be five years from now and I’ll still never drink this water.”
As of now, citizens are mad at and disappointed with their government, expressing their frustration in protest as they flood the state capital. Busloads of Flint residents poured into the capitol building rallying for lawmakers to correct the ongoing crisis and to continue providing free water until the issue is resolved. Many worry about the large costs that the cutting of the free water program will bring, with some needing tens of cases of water per week in order to simply brush teeth or bathe.
Many are calling for there to be a continuation of the free water program until the entire pipe system in Flint has been replaced, but this is a goal that may not come true in the near future. In a settlement from a lawsuit against the state, a judge ordered for there to be almost $100 million to replace any lead or galvanized-steel water lines in Flint in 2017. According to Governor Snyder, more than 62,000 homes have had their pipes replaced so far, but the date for that project is not set for completion until at least January 2020.