The Environmental Protection Agency has lifted a 2016 emergency order on Flint’s drinking water.
The order was put in place near the height of the city’s lead-tainted drinking water crisis.
In 2014, an emergency manager appointed by then-Governor Rick Snyder’s administration switched the city of Flint’s drinking water source from Detroit’s water system to the Flint River. The intent was to save money. The result was improperly treated river water damaging aging pipes which released lead and other contaminants into Flint’s drinking water.
For much of the past decade, tests have shown Flint’s drinking water within compliance with federal standards for lead, though often at higher levels than other Michigan cities. Last August, tests showed Flint’s lead levels at roughly one part per billion, well below state and federal standards.
In a recorded message, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin acknowledged the city is now in compliance with federal drinking water standards, which he called a “major milestone.”
“The end of this order returns the city of Flint to its regular ongoing obligation to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act and its regulations,” said Zeldin.
Since the ill-advised switch to the Flint River, tens of millions of dollars have been spent to repair the city’s water system. In the decade since the crisis, the city has replaced nearly all lead service lines connecting homes and businesses to city water mains. It’s estimated 97% of suspected lead service lines have been replaced.
The Natural Resources Defense Council has been working with Flint activists to pressure the federal government to respond to Flint’s water crisis. NRDC Senior Attorney Sarah Tallman issued a written statement saying the group expects “government at all levels will continue to remain vigilant about Flint’s water quality.”
