EPA Chief Warns Of 'Systemic' Issues With Flint Water Safety

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The country's top environmental regulator warned the Michigan governor and the Flint mayor of "systemic" problems that threaten the long-term ability to provide safe drinking water in the city after its lead contamination crisis subsides.

In a letter Thursday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said Flint's distribution system is too big for demand, letting water stagnate in pipes and potentially preventing chlorine from fighting disease-causing pathogens. She also told Gov. Rick Snyder and Mayor Karen Weaver that the water treatment plant is understaffed and lacks enough experienced employees.

Her other concerns included whether Flint administrators would be able to reliably and quickly provide administrative support. She also noted the need for a "solid and realistic" financial plan in a city whose residents pay some of the highest water bills in the U.S.

"The principal issues that must be addressed for long-term system reliability are systemic issues that go well beyond what is necessary to deal with the immediate crisis," McCarthy wrote.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FLINT_WATER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-06-17-14-43-49

[Igel]

1. The "too big for demand" is a tough fix.

Population's halved in the last few decades.