National Guard to Increase Presence in Flint

Approximately 70 U.S. National Guard members will be stationed in Flint, Mich., on Monday to aid residents affected by the city’s drinking water crisis, according to an Associated Press report. This will more than double the number of guard members in the stricken city.

On Sunday, teams distributed bottled water, filters, replacement filters and water testing kits to nearly 5,000 homes in the city. Samples from official testing kits can be dropped off at five sites around the city.

President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Michigan on Saturday.

High levels of lead have contaminated Flint’s drinking water since the city changed the source of its water supply from Detroit’s supply to the Flint River in April 2014 in order to save money while a pipeline that will provide water from Lake Huron is constructed. The river’s water was not properly treated, and the water’s corrosive nature caused it to draw lead from the city’s antiquated pipes.

Source: Associated Press