Flint Switching To Secondary Water Source Is No Small Task
Construction on the City of Flint backup water line has been completed, and it won't be long until Flint starts to use their backup water source.
City officials have announced that once the backup water line is finished they will slowly start to transition to the secondary water source. This may seem routine enough, but not to anyone in Flint that is still dealing with the negative impacts of the Flint Water Crisis. The good news is that this is a much safer water switch than what happened at the beginning of the crisis.
I can't stress enough how important it is for city and state officials to overcommunicate to the public about this water change. Trust around the water in Flint is paper thin everyone knows it. So let's break down a few of the questions everyone has when it comes to the upcoming backup water switch.
Why is Flint switching to a backup water source?
The secondary water line and water source plans were put into place nearly a year ago. The city needed a backup source so they could complete some much needed repairs on the main water line. There's also the goal of never having a major water interruption again once both lines are completely operational. Mayor Neeley talked about how important it was in the press release.
This secondary water pipeline project provides the city with two water delivery systems guaranteeing that Flint will never use Flint River water again
How long will Flint be using the secondary water source?
This is anything but a quick switch over. The process to completely switch over to the secondary source will be more than a month long. Then the repairs can start on the main water line, and those are expected to take at least two months. If everything goes according to plan, Flint should be switched back to the primary water source before Christmas.
Should you be worried about switching to the backup water source?
The short answer is no, but I don't blame anyone for worrying anyway.
The main reason I am saying no is because the amount of transparency that the city and state are using for this water switch. They have a dedicated website here to track the progress of the repairs, and the constant water testing that will be done on the secondary supply.
If you have a water emergency or issue with your service, please call (810) 766-7202 for water and (810) 766-7079 for sewer.