Michigan, Flint to replace 18,000 lead-tainted water lines
DETROIT — Michigan and the city of Flint agreed Monday to replace thousands of home water lines under a sweeping deal to settle a lawsuit by residents over lead-contaminated water in the struggling community.
Flint will replace at least 18,000 lead or galvanized-steel water lines by 2020, and the state will pick up the bill with state and federal money, according to the settlement filed in federal court. It will be presented Tuesday to U.S. District Judge David Lawson for likely approval.
More than 700 water lines already have been replaced and work is ongoing, but the agreement would rid Flint's roughly 100,000 residents of uncertainty over how to pay for the enormous task. Under the settlement, the state will set aside $87 million and keep another $10 million in reserve if necessary.
"The proposed agreement is a win for the people of Flint," said Dimple Chaudhary, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is working with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan to represent Flint residents.
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