Flint’s mayor hopes to replace the city’s one thousandth lead service line by the end of the year.
Mayor Karen Weaver says phase 3 of her Fast Start pipe replacement program will target nearly 800 homes in the next two months. That’s on top of the more than 200 pipes replaced to date.
Pipes connecting Flint homes to city water mains are a prime source of the lead contamination in Flint’s tap water. The city has enough money to replace another 4,000 pipes next year.
But Weaver says Flint needs more help, especially from the federal government.
“We’re going to keep the pressure on, because we deserve some more money to continue this program … and we need it in big buckets,” says Weaver.
Congress is expected to take up a major appropriation for Flint after the November election.
In September, the U.S. House approved $170 million for Flint. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate OK'd $220 million. A conference committee is working on a compromise bill that Congress is expected to take up when it returns to work during a lame duck session.
