A new state rule requires local water systems to get rid of all their lead service lines over the next 20 years. These are the types of pipes that contributed to the Flint water crisis.
Governor Rick Snyder says a confusingfederal lead and copper rule helped create the Flint crisis and called for Michigan to adopt its own standard covering roughly 2,000 water systems.
“So, Michigan will now have its own rule that’s stricter than the federal standard.”
Snyder press secretary Anna Heaton says the state can now step in sooner if lead is detected in a water system. Those systems would also have to accelerate the pace of pipe replacement.
The rule does not affect the pipes inside homes and businesses.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
