Flint City officials have declared a public health emergency after residents complained about the water's taste and smell coming from Flint River, the city's source of water since 2014.
According to foxnews.com, residents have been reporting about the incident for a few months now and tests revealed that children have elevated levels of lead.
Genesee County Commissioners have advised the people to stop using the water until further tests are conducted and goes through approved taps and filters. A group of doctors said that the water from Flint River is corrosive causing for the lead to be released from the pipes of old houses in the area.
Flint City mayor Dwayne Walling advised everyone to use only county- approved taps and filters and flush cold water for five minutes first before drinking it.
Flint City was connected to Detroit water system until last year when the city decided to get water from Flint River. Now, locals and citizens are asking Environmental Protection Agency to reconnect their city to Detroit's water system again. LeeAnne Waters, a parents and member of Water You Fighting For, said "As evidenced by the ongoing poisoning of the children of Flint, it's time for the EPA to take immediate action to provide us with a safe water source."
The authorities are now taking actions to resolve the on- going situation.
According to mlive.com, Local, state and federal officials are bound to disclose their plans in addressing the issue through a press conference on Friday, October 2. The conference will be held in Kettering University at 1:30 p.m. However, Governor Rick Snyder will not be able to attend the conference.
Gove. Snyder is demanding for the officials to come up with the best solution or at least announce their plan on how they will undertake the situation. He said "There are probably some things that weren't as fully understood when that switch was made."
At the end of the conference, the officials are hoping that the issue will be resolved soon. Brad Wurfel, director of communications for the DEQ, said "We're looking forward to coming to Flint. We recognize lead is a concern in the city."
What do you think about Flint City's decision to tap their water from Flint River? How about with the local officials' efforts to resolve the issue? Sound it in the comments!
