TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Staff and funding shortages and poor data management are preventing Michigan environmental regulators from making sure that state residents have safe drinking water, federal officials said Thursday.
Investigations primarily blamed the state Department of Environmental Quality, which failed to require anti-corrosion pipeline treatments when the city changed its water source.
In its newly released report, the EPA evaluated the statewide effectiveness of Michigan’s safe drinking water program.
State officials must make sure violation notices are issued and the public informed, it said.
But the department “will use the recommendations indicated in the report to further improve the Drinking Water Program to better ensure the public’s health and safety,” Brown said.
Their report was based on a review of documents for 25 of more than 10,000 regulated public water systems in Michigan, including Flint’s.
It echoed previous findings that the Flint crisis resulted partly from the state department’s “failure to properly oversee and manage” the city’s switch from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014.
The river water was not treated to prevent corrosion, enabling lead to leach from old pipes and fixtures.
Water quality has greatly improved since the city resumed using Detroit water in 2015, experts said.
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