• U.S.

Flint Stops Mailing Water Bills to Residents

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Work Begins In Flint To Replace Lead Water Pipes
FLINT, MI - MARCH 4: City of Flint , Michigan Mayor Karen Weaver holds a press conference at the site of the first Flint home with high lead levels to have its lead service line replaced under the Mayor's Fast Start program, marking the beginning of work to replace all the lead water pipes in the city. The lead line will be replaced with a copper one by work crews. March 5, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)Bill Pugliano–Getty Images
By Daniel White

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver on Wednesday ordered the city to stop mailing out water bills until credits can be applied to the city’s customers.

Weaver said that the Michigan city’s employees “are doing everything they can” to get Flint utility customers accounts in order, according to the Detroit News. The process includes applying adjustments to the city’s more than 85,000 active and inactive utility accounts. The city became famous after it switched to using the Flint River as its water source, which caused high levels of lead contamination in drinking water.

“The credits are coming,” Weaver said in a statement. “Flint residents need and deserve this relief. I’ve said from Day One, Flint residents should not have to pay for water they can not and are not using.”

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who has come under fire for his handling of Flint’s water crisis, recently approved a $30 million plan to help city residents with their water bills. The next bill most Flint customers should receive will include the credits, according to Weaver.

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