Mayor Karen Weaver’s office announced a plan Wednesday to continue bottled water distribution in Flint for the foreseeable future.
Four delivery sites will continue to serve the roughly 2,100 Flint residents with mobility issues or limited access to transportation. Ten pickup locations will also be accessible.
In August, Flint’s seven water distribution centers handed out 11,061 cases of bottled water a day. That's nearly 300,000 cases for the entire month.
Three distribution sites closed after Labor Day.
Tests show Flint’s water has met federal requirements for more than a year, and the city has urged residents to drink filtered water. However, some residents remain skeptical and pushed Weaver to continue bottled water and filter distribution.
In a statement, Weaver said she’s heard those concerns.
"We are glad the water quality is improving. However, residents have made it clear that they are still concerned about the health and well-being of our community if bottled water and filters were no longer being provided. I relayed those concerns to the governor and we negotiated a plan to have four PODs remain open indefinitely, one on each side of town.”
The new plan also moves oversight of water distribution from the state government to the city of Flint, specifically the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Several other local groups and organizations will also assist with distribution, and mini-PODs will be established at multiple locations.
Residents with questions about AFN water deliveries can call the new Home Delivery Hotline at 810-410-1138.
