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Flint extends contract for Detroit-area water supply

Posted at 8:30 AM, Jun 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-27 08:30:00-04

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Flint has extended its water contract with the Great Lakes Water Authority to September as the impoverished Michigan city struggles to recover from a lead-tainted water crisis.

The Flint Journal reports that the city council approved the short-term contract Monday, following a meeting filled with heated exchanges. The council was under pressure to approve a 30-year contract with the authority, provide an alternative plan or face legal action by a Monday deadline.

Flint was under state control in 2014 when it switched from the Detroit-area’s water system to the Flint River to save money. The river water wasn’t properly treated to reduce corrosion, causing lead to leach from old pipes and fixtures into drinking water. Flint switched back to the Great Lakes Water Authority for water supply in 2015.