Mayor's Office

Mayor Weaver Calls for Action to Remove Lead Pipes in Flint

February 2, 2016 — Flint, MI–  Mayor Karen Weaver was joined today by mayors from Michigan and leaders from across the nation to call for immediate action to remove the lead pipes from Flint’s water distribution system. Mayor Weaver also launched a new initiative to engage Flint residents and a team of trusted experts in charting a viable path to Flint’s future.

“We must replace the lead pipes immediately, starting with the highest risk homes,” Mayor Weaver said.  “My colleague Virg Bernero, Mayor of Lansing, has offered the technical assistance of the Lansing Board of Water and Light, which has successfully removed more than 13,000 lead pipes in the city. They have perfected a technique that gets the job done twice as fast and at half the cost. We must do the same in Flint.”

Mayor Weaver named Brigadier General (ret.) Michael C.H. McDaniel to lead a team of Flint citizens, trusted experts and other stakeholders who will help the Mayor chart a new path to prosperity for the city and its residents.  McDaniel will work with Mayor Weaver to identify additional members of the team who bring specific expertise to the tasks at hand.

“Every mayor needs a strong team and we are going to add capacity to my team to enable us to deal even more effectively with the challenges facing Flint,” Mayor Weaver said.

Weaver also introduced former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who has agreed to serve as a close adviser to her Administration.

“Our work is just getting started,” said Mayor Weaver.  “We’ve got to have a plan for what’s next, a bold and comprehensive strategy to not only pick up the pieces, but to put it all back together again and move this city forward to a flourishing future, a prosperous and sustainable future.”