Recovering From Crisis, Flint Requests Contract Extension For Source Water
When Flint, MI, called for a state of emergency in 2015 over the presence of lead in its drinking water, the city became embroiled in a years-long recovery process that is still underway.
In the fight toward normalcy, the city has a proposed deal to continue buying water from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) for the next 30 years, a critical step as constituents in its previous source water were found to be a major cause of the contamination. But earlier this month, the U.S. EPA wanted assurances that Flint would continue to have access to that water as the details are hashed out.
“EPA Water Division Director Christopher Korleski asked Mayor Karen Weaver and state Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh for documentation of Flint’s continued access to GLWA water after Sept. 30 in a Sept. 14 letter,” reported MLive.
The deal is being held up by the Flint City Council, which hasn’t approved the 30-year contract, despite its support from Mayor Weaver and the GLWA. The EPA appears to be pressuring GLWA to keep the short-term contract alive.
“GLWA said it has received a request from the city to extend the existing short-term contract for water for an additional 30 days — to Oct. 30,” per MLive. “The city is trying to address water system problems identified by the EPA in an administrative order issued by the agency in January 2016, shortly after former President Barack Obama recognized the Flint water crisis as a federal emergency.”
As the dust settles regarding what caused the contamination in the first place and residents continue to battle the health effects, it appears that Flint has gotten its drinking water quality in order. This could be imperiled if a deal for source water access is not reached.
“New test results show Flint’s water meets federal regulations for lead, but residents still are cautioned to use filters and bottled water to curtail lead exposure,” reported the Detroit Free Press. “Virginia Tech College of Engineering professor Marc Edwards leads a team that found in 138 Flint homes a 90th percentile lead level of 9.8 parts per billion — below the federal Lead and Copper Rule’s action level of 15 parts per billion.”
To read more about Flint’s lead crisis visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Regulations And Legislation Solutions Center.