President Barack Obama has travelled to Flint, Michigan, to help reassure residents that the city is recovering from a lead-tainted drinking water crisis.
In his first visit to the beleaguered city since the crisis began in 2014, Mr Obama drank filtered water after a reporter asked him if was willing to try it.
"The water around this table was Flint water and it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is, if you're using a filter, if you're installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable," the President said after taking a gulp.
Mr Obama told residents it could take more than two years before the city's water pipes can be replaced.
He urged citizens to use the water filters that are being provided free of charge, and to let their water taps run for five minutes every day to flush out any contaminants.
The President also called on parents to have their children tested for high levels of lead in their blood.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Michigan State Senate approved an additional $128m to address the recovery effort.
The crisis began after Flint, a working class, mostly African-American city of 100,000 people, switched water supplies to the Flint River from Detroit's water system to save money.
The water was not filtered properly, which led to lead and other metals leaching from old pipes.
The move sparked a national controversy after blood samples taken from children showed high levels of lead, which can damage the nervous system.
No comments:
Post a Comment