As of Tuesday, the people of Flint, Mich., have been without clean water for 1,306 days.
U.S. District Judge David Lawson ordered representatives from the city of Flint, the City Council, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Genesee County Drain Commissioner, the Great Lakes Water Authority and the Karegnondi Water Authority into mediation for hours Monday according to MLive-Flint Journal.
The judge also stipulated that the Flint City Council would have until Tuesday night to vote on an amended 30-year water contract with Great Lakes Water Authority.
The new version of the 30-year agreement that the council will vote on includes a promise from Michigan Gov.
The contract also asks that the city be granted $750,000 for estimated water bill relief and that the $100 million in relief funds from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act be immediately released from the state to Flint.
The WIIN Act funds are the federal relief funds President Barack Obama authorized when he signed the continuing resolution over a year ago.
Additionally, the state of Michigan has requested that the General Motors Engine Plant return as a user of Flint’s water supply.
On Monday, the Michigan DEQ had gone to court to ask Judge Lawson to bypass the City Council and allow Flint Mayor Karen Weaver to sign the agreement.
Attorneys for the City Council called that move unconstitutional.
Winfrey said that the council had a lengthy series of closed and open meetings to go over the contract with various city, county and state officials.