Michigan Governor Rick Snyder claims that the lead-tainted water in Flint is safe for drinking when filtered. In order to prove his claim, Gov. Snyder vows to drink it for the next month, both at home and at work.
"To help support this effort - people are asking about me drinking the water - I filled up a bunch of gallon jugs, so I'm going to drink filtered Flint water from this wonderful home I visited," Gov. Snyder said. "I'm going to start drinking that tonight and do it for the next 30 days when I'm at work and at home."
The governor's efforts came after residents urged him to visit their homes and drink from their tap water before they would take the risk of following his move.
Researchers' found that the water recovery process is lagging due to the residents' hesitation to buy and use the contaminated waters, NPR stated.
This has stopped the water additives to reach the pipes. "The additives would 're-scale' corroded pipes in the water system, thereby preventing lead from leaching into the water," The Two-Way reported.
Meanwhile, a Virginia Tech study concluded a week ago advised all residents of Flint to "continue to use bottled water, or Flint water passed through a lead filter, for cooking or drinking until further notice.
Daily Kos states that the World Health Organization has "found that lead affects children's brain development, resulting in reduced IQ and behavioral issues that could lead to criminal activity."
The governor, on the other hand, has been told many times by the residents to resign, claiming that his administration did not do enough to respond to the said crisis.
The residents have been alarmed of the status of their water after it was declared to have been tainted with lead. The water crisis can be traced back to when the Flint switched its water source in 2014 from Lake Huron to the Flint River.