Federal Assistance Extended for Flint

(Flint, Mich) — The federal emergency declaration in the City of Flint has been extended by the Obama administration. The decision will allow residents affected by the man-made water disaster to continue to receive supplies including; bottled water, filters, replacement cartridges and water test kits free of charge from designated resource sites around the city. Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the extension of the emergency declaration, which was set to end April 14. The assistance will now continue until the middle of August.

Mayor Weaver says the extension is good news, in that it gives the city more time to secure the funding needed to provide residents with a permanent solution to get clean, safe water flowing from their taps.

“I want to thank FEMA for continuing to help Flint deal with the effects of this crisis,” said Mayor Karen Weaver. “We appreciate the bottled water and the filters, but we know we also need a permanent solution to this problem. We need new pipes. Work is now underway as part of my Fast Start plan. Crews are replacing lead and galvanized pipes at high priority homes in the city. We are still waiting for funding from the state and federal government to be able to cover the cost of replacing pipes at every home where they are needed. Flint deserves and needs a complete renewal of its water system, as well as enough money to provide health, education, economic and family services to the children and adults in the city impacted by the water crisis.”