Governor Rick Snyder is pledging to drink filtered Flint tap water for the next 30 days.
People in Flint don’t trust that special filters are enough to clean lead from their tap water. In many homes, the level of lead in unfiltered tap water is well above the federal action level of 15 parts per billion.
In Flint today, the governor encouraged city residents to trust the filters. Snyder says he filled up several gallon jugs today at a home with a lead service line that has tested above the federal action level for lead in the past.
There were no reporters present for the visit.
“People ask about me drinking the water, that’s why I said we’ll go out and drink filtered Flint water for the next 30 days,” says Snyder, “to be a role model to say it does work, it is safe and I encourage people to do so.”
The governor also toured one of the new water distribution centers being set up in the city. Paid workers are taking the place of national guardsmen in handing out cases of bottled water and filters.
Snyder pledged to continue making supplies available to Flint residents who need them.
The governor is also encouraging Flint residents to take part in a program next month to flush their pipes.
The EPA, MDEQ and the city would like water customers to run their taps for five minutes a day for two weeks starting May 1. Researchers believe that would help flush out lead particles and allow the biofilm in the pipes to begin to heal.
The state will pick up the tab for the water used.
