Environment After Flint, Michigan wants the country’s most stringent water regulations Four years ago, the city of Flint experienced lead contamination at levels higher than what the federal government says qualifies as toxic waste.
Under the regulations that resulted from Snyder’s decree, which together are known as the Supplying Water to the Public Rule, water utility companies in Michigan will have to keep better track of where lead service lines are located in their system, and remove all 460,000 of them within 20 years.
Under a court-ordered public works program, Flint is already replacing its lead pipes, and galvanized pipes that were corroded by the river water.
To date, more than 6,200 pipes connecting Flint homes and businesses with city water mains have been replaced, with a goal to replace 18,000 lead service lines by 2020.
Even though most lead contamination in water results from old plumbing in homes, lead can also leach into drinking water from old service lines.
Today, nearly a third of municipal water systems report using lead service lines.
When the city switched its water supply, it did not add chemicals normally used to prevent lead pipe corrosion.
During the crisis, the highest level of lead contamination found in Flint’s drinking water was 13,000 parts per billion.
Currently, the federal threshold for lead contamination is 15 parts per billion.
Michigan’s new regulations are lower, at 12 parts per billion, making them the toughest in the country.