Judge OKs waterline plan for Flint

DETROIT — U.S. District Judge David Lawson approved a plan Tuesday to replace waterlines to 18,000 homes in Flint, Mich., marking a milestone in remediating a 2014 city decision to draw water from a river without first treating it to prevent lead contamination.

Flint will be responsible for replacing lead and galvanized-steel pipes that carry water to homes. The cost could be as high as $97 million, with federal and state governments paying the bill. Pipes at more than 700 homes have been replaced so far.

The court-ordered pipe replacement is unprecedented in the United States, said lead attorney Dimple Chaudhary of the Natural Resources Defense Council. The group, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, sued Flint and Michigan on behalf of residents.

Flint’s water was tainted with lead for at least 18 months, starting in the spring of 2014.

Under the new agreement, pipes serving 18,000 homes will be replaced by January 2020. Michigan will continue to provide water filters to homes, but the state can start closing free bottled-water sites in Flint, depending on demand and results of water quality tests.

AP/GENE J. PUSKAR A sea lion comes up for air at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Tuesday.