Cars formed long lines at water distribution centers in Flint, Michigan, after Governor Rick Snyder (R) announced on Friday that the state will no longer supply free water bottles to Flint residents.
This decision was accompanied by a government report stating that, for nearly two years, “[Lead and Copper Rule] data and thousands of other tests” have shown that Flint’s water tests the same as—and in some cases better than—similar cities across the state. According to that same report, “state taxpayers have provided more than $350 million to Flint, in addition to the $100 million from the federal government” in order to improve water quality, replace pipes, and support other forms of recovery for Flint residents.
(Chart: Department of Environmental Quality)
Some officials criticized Snyder’s move, in part because the city is still recovering from long-standing problems with water that hit crisis levels in 2014 when Flint residents found dangerous levels of lead in their tap water. And although Flint’s water supply meets federal standards, water can still pick up lead if it flows through the thousands of pipes that have not yet been replaced in the city.
Michigan State Representative Sheldon Neeley (D) denounced Snyder’s decision. “Governor Snyder has failed to address the psychological trauma that his administration put the people of Flint through,” he said in a statement. “The fact is, the people of Flint don’t trust the Snyder administration or the science they pay for.”
