If the Flint, Michigan water crisis wasn’t terrible enough, another predominantly Black Michigan city, Benton Harbor, is having the same issue.
On Thursday, residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan were told they were finally getting a new lead system, after dealing with contaminated water for years, according to The Guardian.
The residents of Benton Harbor have had elevated water levels for the past three years.
Initially announcing plans to replace the service lines within the next five years–something that didn’t sit right with the residents of Benton Harbor–Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced there would be an “all-hands-on-deck,” in resolving this matter within the next 18 months.
“Every Michigander deserves safe drinking water, and every community deserves lead-free pipes,” Whitmer said in a statement on Thursday. “We will not rest until the job is done and every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe.”
This comes weeks after residents of Benton were advised not to use water to cook or drink “out of an abundance of caution.”
In 2018, it was first reported that Benton Harbor had a higher level of lead content than Flint.
“In 2018, testing revealed a lead content of 22 parts per billion – higher than that of nearby Flint at the height of the crisis that made that city a symbol of US environmental injustice.”
In response to the lack of action from leaders, Benton Harbor Community Water Council filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency.
In September, the state of Michigan announced that water filters would be distributed to every home within the city and also free bottled water.
Though the water system is being upgraded and replaced, community leader, Pinkney, wants the state to verbally express that the water is actually dangerous.
“We’ve got 18 months before the pipes are gonna be completed,” Pinkney said, urging officials to formally declare the water dangerous instead of telling residents they are acting “out of an abundance of caution.”
Roomies, what do you all think of this?
