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Flint's still-unfinished lead pipe replacement serves as cautionary tale to other cities

GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, JUN 29 – Flint’s lead pipe replacement program faces delays and trust issues, with hundreds of pipes still in the ground years after the 2017 settlement, NRDC reports.

  • By July 1, Flint had finished all mandated excavation and lawn restoration related to the replacement of close to eleven thousand lead service lines, concluding a decade-long response to the water crisis.
  • The crisis began in 2014 when the city switched its water source to the Flint River without corrosion control, causing lead contamination and health hazards.
  • Despite settlement-mandated replacements and testing, management was ineffective, records were poor, nearly 700 homeowners declined replacements, and distrust lingered in the community.
  • Flint’s Public Works Director Miller reported new robust data management and prioritized customer outreach, but residents like Aonie Gilcreast said, "We don’t know what to believe."
  • The city and state continue replacing lead lines on properties outside the original settlement, indicating ongoing work and lessons for other municipalities under federal mandates.
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The Columbian broke the news in Vancouver, United States on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
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