Politics & Government
EPA: Filtered Water Now Safe for Everyone in Flint
The federal agency says pregnant and nursing women and children no longer need to drink bottled water.
Flint, MI – The federal Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that the filtered water in Flint is now safe enough for all residents to drink.
The announcement comes a day after Michigan’s Attorney General Bill Schuette filed civil charges against three companies in connection with Flint’s lead-tainted water crisis.
The EPA, in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, completed testing of water filters in Flint and found that the filters distributed by the State of Michigan effectively remove lead or reduce it to levels well below EPA’s action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
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Based on EPA’s findings and previous independent filter testing by Virginia Tech University researchers and NSF International which certifies water filters, all local, state and federal agencies involved in the Flint crisis response agree that the use of these NSF verified filters makes water safe from lead for all populations.
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“These findings reaffirm the effectiveness of filters at removing or reducing lead. This is an important step forward for providing a stable water system for the City of Flint,” said Tom Burke, EPA Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, in a statement.
“Residents can be confident that EPA’s sampling results correspond with previous tests and are consistent with outside experts’ findings.”
“With the results of this testing, residents can be confident that they can use filtered water and protect their developing fetus or young child from lead,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dr. Nicole Lurie, who has led federal support efforts for the Flint crisis response.
“It’s crucial that people in Flint install filters on faucets they use for drinking water, cooking, or brushing their teeth, and replace the filter cartridges regularly.”
Michigan began making filters available in Flint for free in January 2016 and to date, FEMA has provided the state with more than 50,000 filters and over 243,000 filter replacement cartridges.
To read the filter report, visit the EPA website.
Image credit: Rob McCready via Flickr / licensed under Creative Commons
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