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Seven years since the start of the Flint water crisis: “It's a journey."

Steve Carmody
/
Michigan Radio
Credit Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio
/
Michigan Radio

Sunday marks the seventh anniversary of the start of the Flint water crisis.

On April 25, 2014, officials pushed the button switching Flint’s drinking water source from Detroit’s water system to the Flint River.

The river water was not properly treated, resulting in lead leeching from old pipes into the city’s drinking water. 

Seven years later, the city is still recovering from its water crisis.

Read more: Does Flint have clean water? Yes, but it’s complicated.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley says the city will replace the last lead and galvanized service lines this summer. To date, Flint has replaced nearly 10,000 service lines since the city’s water crisis.

“It's a journey. And we’re completing that journey now.”

The legal journey also continues. Nine people, including former Governor Rick Snyder, now face criminal charges. Civil lawsuits are also still in the courts. But a proposed $641 million master settlement may settle many of those claims.

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Copyright 2021 Michigan Radio

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Radio since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting. During his two and a half decades in broadcasting, Steve has won numerous awards, including accolades from the Associated Press and Radio and Television News Directors Association. Away from the broadcast booth, Steve is an avid reader and movie fanatic. Q&A