FLINT, MI — Mayor Karen Weaver isn’t interested in ending state-funded bottled water distribution in the city until testing in public schools shows lead is no longer a problem there.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality struck an agreement with Flint School District last month to begin testing and flushing of water in the district’s 13 buildings.
"We still want that extra layer of protection … Tap-drinkable — that’s the goal," Weaver said.
"Until we get through (school testing) we don’t want any of this to go away.
"I think we’ve made that message loud and clear.
I certainly hope so," she said.
State officials have said Flint’s decreasing level of lead in the water last year means it could reconsider continuing to pay for bottled water that’s being distributed here at any time.
The DEQ’s announcement does not include any information about the future of state funding for bottled water distribution in the city — an initiative that state officials have said would likely be reviewed this month of the LCR testing continued to trend well below 15 ppb of lead.
The agreement that allows for the water testing in Flint schools came after the state said school officials wouldn’t allow it to flush lines or test water inside any of its 13 buildings.
The schools currently use only bottled water, supplied by private donors.

At dinner tables, in workplaces and on social media the staple discussion topics are innovative ideas to stave off Day Zero — when the city’s water supply dips so low the municipality turns off most taps, and rations residents to 25l/person/day at designated collection points.
The Facebook page Water Shedding Western Cape has more than 152,000 members, who trade tips on water conservation that range from technical advice on installing rainwater tanks, pumps and filters to simple ways to stop grey water from smelling and recipes for home-made waterless hand sanitisers.
The level of the six main dams that provide Cape Town’s water supply stood at 25.8% of their collective capacity on February 2.
A stark warning from mayor Patricia de Lille in mid-January that Day Zero was "now likely" and could arrive as soon as April 12 sparked consumer panic.
Within the space of a weekend some retailers’ shelves were swept bare of bottled water, 25l jerrycans and just about any other storage receptacle.
In the ensuing frenzy, Woolworths’ online ordering system buckled under the weight of orders for bottled water, Makro set up separate cashiers for the crowds who were buying water, and security was stepped up at the Newlands Spring as residents flocked to secure free supplies.
"Customers have been buying significantly more bottled water and water containers in the region since [new] restrictions were announced, and we are sourcing increased stocks from suppliers.
While consumer fear and creativity is plain to see, many businesses are innovating behind the scenes.
Large shopping malls are using grey water or borehole water to flush toilets, have switched off most taps, and offer consumers waterless hand sanitisers.
Private hospital group Netcare is also investing in desalination, and will shortly commission a plant in its Christiaan Barnard hospital that will yield enough fresh water for all five of its Cape Town hospitals, as well as showers and drinking water for staff should the need arise.

Counsell’s deliberate water display and opening sermon kicked off the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town’s Water (In)Justice Conference on Saturday (Feb. 3).
Makgoba takes issue with the apocalyptic connotations of the name “Day Zero” and suggested parishioners consider “Day One” — his preferred term for the same scenario — as an opportunity for action.
It doesn’t give us hope.
Rachel Mash, environmental coordinator for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and Green Anglicans, organized the conference, which featured practical water-saving tools and ideas.
Goody bags included dense green plastic blocks participants were advised to drop in their toilet tanks at home to save water.
Winter’s ultimate message: “Keep calm and save water while we have it.” The Rev.
“We have a borehole (water well) at the church, but the police stopped us from using that,” he said.
That requires water.” New water restrictions came into effect Feb. 1, regulating the use of borehole water wells and limiting Cape Town residents to just 50 liters (13.2 gallons) of water per day.
By comparison, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that Americans use 80 to 100 gallons of water each per day.
Beyond individual faith groups’ efforts, several ecumenical and interfaith initiatives have emerged to address the water crisis and “soak the city in prayer.” In May, Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille hosted interfaith leaders at the foot of Table Mountain to pray for rain.

The abrupt resignation of the city’s health commissioner last month has many Milwaukee residents questioning what they can do to protect their families — and especially their young children — from lead poisoning.
How can lead in the service lines to my house contaminate drinking water?
Lead, which was used in water pipes in Milwaukee into the 1950s and in the solder connecting copper piping until the 1980s, can flake into drinking water.
How can lead paint poison children?
If I have these lead service lines, what can I do to protect my children from drinking contaminated water?
Also, flush drinking water plumbing before using water for consumption or cooking.
Otherwise health experts recommend using bottled water instead of tap water.
A.There is no safe level of lead in the human body, according to the city Health Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
However, it is not possible to get drinking water to an undetectable level of lead (i.e.1 part per billion or lower) without using lead filters or bottled water, according to Edwards, the national expert from Virginia Tech.
For more information on lead poisoning consult: The Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The public do not believe the government is doing enough to tackle plastic waste, according to a new poll.
The survey, carried out by D-CYFOR, shows 61% do not believe enough is being done to encourage companies to create and use recyclable packaging, 24% support a “latte levy” on disposable coffee cups proposed by MPs, while 49% want to see coffee shops charging less if customers bring their own reusable cups.
Mike Childs, of Friends of the Earth, told HuffPost UK: “The public clearly aren’t satisfied with the lacklustre approach being taken to reduce the amount of waste packaging being produced.
It’s high time the government stopped just talking and started to act.
This would spell further disaster for our natural environment, as well as having serious implications for the health of people and wildlife.
The bottled water industry sells about 13bn bottles every year, and just 3bn of those are recycled.
PA Wire/PA Images “Defra as a department does not purchase any plastic water bottles,” he said, stating that water was supplied by an external catering company.
The former farmer added: “The contractor does not hold this level of data for more than three years.
Re-usable glasses are now supplied.” Farron told HuffPost UK: “It is welcome news that plastic water bottles are being used less and less by government departments.
The fight to clear up our plastic waste should be led from the top, and it is promising that these numbers are going the right way.

In 1854, a London anesthesiologist and amateur sleuth made a history-changing discovery about the link between contaminated water and human disease.
Several years before Louis Pasteur’s groundbreaking experiments that established what came to be called germ theory, Dr. John Snow thought he’d figured out why there were so many cholera cases in a central London neighborhood now known as Soho.
The prevailing belief at the time was that cholera was caused by miasma — bad air.
Snow had another idea.
He persuaded civic officials to remove the handle from the Broad Street pump, a water source for the neighboring businesses and residents.
Over a century and a half later, it appears some in modern society want the Broad Street pump handle back.
The argument: It tastes better.
But while the notion of crystal clear water bubbling up from a pristine spring sounds enticing, in reality there can be risks.
“When water is untreated, there is more uncertainty regarding what’s in it — and it may contain harmful germs,” explained Vincent Hill, chief of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s waterborne disease prevention branch.
Think of them as nature’s additives.

Cape Town – Next time you see a passenger boarding a plane with a five-litre bottle of water, don’t be alarmed.
It is just someone on their way to Cape Town.
Domestic airlines are allowing passengers travelling to Cape Town to carry the water as hand luggage, as their contribution to the city’s water crisis.
FlySafair said it implemented the measure two weeks ago.
“What we recognise is that our customers, like all South Africans, are desperate to try to help in whatever way they can.
"That said, we do want people to be informed about the environmental impact of carrying water by air, because transporting water this way is far more carbon intensive than transporting it by other means,” said Kirby Gordon, FlySafair sales and distribution head.
The water must be stowed beneath the seat in front of the passenger and the offer was not available to those seated in emergency exits or bulkhead rows.
“We recommend purchasing square five-litre bottles which are easier to stow and less likely to roll around.
Please preference sealed bottles as this will be preferred by airport security."
“Customers travelling to Cape Town are welcome to bring bottled water on board as part of their allocated baggage allowance, as long as the containers are within the permitted weight and size requirements for baggage, are properly sealed and can be stowed safely.” okuhle.hlati@inl.co.za Cape Argus

In preparation for Day Zero, now predicted for mid-May, many Capetonians are scrambling to get their hands on bottled water and JoJo Tanks.
According to data from product discovery and comparison service PriceCheck, searches for bottled water have skyrocketed, up 577% since December, while JoJo Tanks are the most searched for item across the site.
There’s also been a sharp spike in demand for the versatile water collection tanks, with searches up more than 100% since December.
Searches for water tanks in general, meanwhile, are up 262%.
Others are hopeful that they can literally take water out of the air.
The phrase “air to water” is the third most searched for term on the website.
Despite the severity of the crisis, it also seems that people are still desperate to have their gardens looking as good as possible.
In an effort to help mitigate the impact of Day Zero, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages in partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation and participating suppliers are in the process of finalising the details to provide millions of litres of relief water… Price spikes While it would be tempting for suppliers to push up prices, PriceCheck CEO Kevin Tucker says there hasn’t been any abnormal movement in this regard.
He does, however, note that “prices of specialised water saving products and devices are on the rise”.
“When Day Zero hits, everyone should have the following available in their homes: hand sanitiser and wet wipes, bottled water, kettles, pots and buckets as well as basic medication to keep any water-borne illnesses at bay.”

CLINTON, Iowa – Staffers at Homer’s Deli know all about making things from scratch.
As lunch customers line up on Tuesday, February 6, there are some changes at the popular eatery.
It’s the aftermath of the water main break that’s forcing a city-wide boil advisory.
"It was an unusual situation," said Lisa Reisen, Iowa American Water.
At the Sweetheart Bakery, making Tuesday’s treats also involved boiling water.
And at Homer’s Deli, they had to adjust some cooking methods and turn off the pop machine.
"I’ve got canned pop back there," she continued.
The water is already okay for bathing, washing and other common uses.
"Yesterday was it."
"It’s a process," Thornton concluded.

The Navy plans to retest well water near Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress for contaminants found in a firefighting foam that was used for decades at the airfield where fighter jets simulate landings on aircraft carriers.
The Navy said it is contacting homeowners near the airfield in rural Chesapeake for permission to sample their well water for perfluorinated compounds that were first found at Fentress and some nearby properties in 2016.
The Navy has been providing bottled water for workers at Fentress and residents who have elevated levels of the compounds in their wells.
The Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t regulate PFCs, but it considers them an "emerging contaminant" that could threaten health or the environment.
Some studies have indicated the compounds increase the risk for cancer in animals and damage to human liver cells, and an association with thyroid disease.
The EPA is studying the contaminants to determine whether regulations for acceptable levels are needed.
A provisional health advisory level is in place for now.
The Navy plans on testing wells near Fentress through Feb. 16 and will notify residents of their personal drinking water sample results in April.
Meanwhile, Naval Air Systems Command, the Naval Research Laboratory in Arlington and a private firefighting foam manufacturer each are researching the development of a PFC-free firefighting foam, which the Defense Department believes would reduce the environmental impact of training while keeping personnel safe.
The research will cost $2.5 million and is expected to be completed in 2020.