Flint, Mich., struggles to finish lead pipe replacement nearly a decade after crisis

(UI) — According to the Associated Press, nearly ten years after its water crisis began, Flint has still not removed every lead service line. Although the city recently told a federal judge it had met the terms of a 2017 settlement, hundreds of lines at vacant or opt-out properties remain unverified, leaving the state to oversee a final push this fall.

Key points the AP highlighted:

• Patchy records: Crews often relied on hand-written cards from the early 1900s, forcing repeat digs and extending timelines.
• Inefficient scheduling: Because workers targeted only addresses with suspected lead, they couldn’t move block-by-block, frustrating residents unsure whether their pipes were safe.
• Communication gaps: Homeowners like Betty Bell continued buying bottled water for years, unaware their line had tested clear in 2017.
• Slow yard restoration: Some lawns sat unrepaired for months, eroding public trust.

State officials now require door-to-door outreach and stronger data tracking before declaring the project complete. The AP also noted that Newark, N.J., avoided similar delays by making access mandatory, paying contractors only after full site restoration, and working systematically by neighborhood—an approach experts urge other cities to follow as a federal mandate to replace roughly nine million remaining U.S. lead lines looms.

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