Flint is making a declaration of independence from Detroit.
The city is making the switch this week from water supplied by Detroit, to water from the Flint River.
Flint is one of many customers of Detroit Water and Sewerage that complains it's being charged too much for water.
The city's long-term plan is to get water from Lake Huron, via a pipeline being built by a new water authority. Genesee, Sanilac, and Lapeer counties are also part of the authority.
But the pipeline won't be built until 2016. Flint plans to treat and use water from the Flint River until then.
Flint officials tell residents they will still see rate increases for water – but the increases won't be as sharp as those they'd see from Detroit.
Meanwhile, a judge has ordered Oakland County and other customers of Detroit's water system back to mediation to restart talks about placing the system under the control of a new water authority.
Those talks broke down over whether the members of the authority should help repay the debt of Detroit Water and Sewerage.
