Flint Water Quality Improves; 5 Bottled Water Sites Close

FLINT, MI — Michigan will close five of the nine locations where Flint residents have been getting free bottled water, filters, replacement cartridges and testing kits because the city's water quality is improving. Mayor Karen Weaver said Wednesday that officials will keep the last four water resource sites running "indefinitely." The others will start closing next month.

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources says that for the second consecutive six-month monitoring period, the water in Flint homes contained levels of lead that didn't exceed the federal safety standard of 15 parts per billion. Flint's water currently is testing at seven parts per billion.

The city switched from Detroit's water system to the Flint River in 2014 to save money. The river water wasn't properly treated to reduce corrosion and lead leached from old pipes into drinking water.
Flint is back on Detroit's system.

Photo: Pastor Cullian Hill with the Concerned Pastors for Social Action speaks during a press conference held by Mayor Karen Weaver on Wednesday morning at Flint City Hall, discussing the states' plan to close five of nine locations where Flint residents are getting free bottled water, filters, replacement cartridges and testing kits as the city’s water quality improves. Distribution points in the 1st Ward, 4th Ward, 6th Ward, and 9th Ward will remain open indefinitely. The others will start closing next month. (Shannon Millard/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP)