The Task Force will also provide technical assistance to the MDEQ and the City of Flint, as needed, in advance of and following connection of the Flint water system to a new source of drinking water (to be supplied by the Karegnondi Water Authority) and to optimize corrosion control for the Flint system, starting in 2016.
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“The increased lead levels found in the Flint water system are simply unacceptable”, said U.S. Sen.
“I’m hopeful that this announcement is a step forward for the future of Flint’s water”, he said.
Mark Edwards of Virginia Tech University is one of the independent experts who assisted city residents in assessing the unsafe condition of the city’s drinking water supply. Complete replacement will happen in about three weeks. Residents also have complained about the smell, taste and appearance of the water. Lead, a metal that can cause developmental delays and learning disabilities, is just the latest issue. Local schools have urged students to avoid fountains.
Federal environmental officials said earlier Friday they established a task force that will include federal scientists and technicians, and the Environmental Protection Agency would ask Snyder and Walling to designate officials to serve as contacts. The Task Force will be led by the Region 5 Deputy Regional Administrator and will assist with developing and implementing a plan to secure water quality, including measures to optimize corrosion control.
He has said he expects the problem of lead leaching into the water from the city’s underground pipes and from old plumbing homes to decrease after about a month after the switch back to Detroit water. Flint will pay $2 million, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has pledged $4 million.
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Water from Lake Huron will begin flowing into Flint after the city reconnected to the Detroit Department of Water and Sewerage Friday, October 16.
