The long process of replacing lead water service lines in Flint has reached an end.
The service lines were the primary source of lead that tainted the drinking water of the city’s tens of thousands of residents a decade ago.
Papers filed in federal court Thursday report Flint’s service line replacement program has met all the obligations set forth by the court in a lawsuit filed in 2017 by local activists and religious leaders in the wake of Flint’s water crisis.
In 2014, under the direction of state-appointed emergency managers, the city of Flint’s drinking water source was switched to the Flint River. But improperly treated river water damaged pipes, releasing lead and other contaminants into the city’s tap water.
By the time Flint was switched back to Detroit’s water system, the damage had been done.
For nearly a decade, the city, and eventually the state, took on the task of inspecting pipes connecting homes and businesses to city water mains. If the water service lines were made with lead or galvanized steel, they were replaced.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley said, to date, about 31,000 service lines have been inspected, with roughly 11,000 replaced. The mayor adds there are still about 30 service lines that have not been inspected, mainly due to issues with getting permission from property owners.
While this milestone effectively brings the legal case to a close, the mayor concedes the work of restoring both Flint’s water system and the shattered trust of city residents continues.
“We definitely want clean and affordable water for our residents,” Neeley told reporters. “So we stand unified there, and we will continue to work toward that goal together.”
While thousands of lead service lines have been replaced and the city’s tap water has consistently tested within federal and state action levels for lead, many Flint residents remain highly skeptical about the safety of their drinking water.
Neeley said the city of Flint will continue to provide filters and testing kits for city residents.
Rev. Alfred Harris is the president of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action, one of the groups that sued the city over pipe replacement. He said the community is on the “right track.”
“There may be something unseen that we don’t even know about today,” said Harris. “But whatever that is, that issue that comes up, we will work together to rectify it.”
Meanwhile, thousands of plaintiffs continue to receive money from a more than $600 million settlement of lawsuits tied to the Flint water crisis. The state of Michigan, the city of Flint and several businesses connected to the decision to switch the city's drinking water source or the aftermath agreed to contribute to the settlement fund. The bulk of the money is earmarked for young children who were exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water and may develop health issues linked to the exposure.
