"Researchers: Lag In Water Use Slows Flint Recovery"

"Flint residents aren’t using enough water to pull necessary chemical treatments through the city’s system, hindering efforts to get water up to safety standards in a community where residents are afraid to use their taps and loathe to pay for what comes out of them.

Although the past six months have produced improvements, recent testing by Virginia Tech researchers, including expert Marc Edwards, shows contamination still at problem levels.

The latest sampling showed Flint with a lead level of 22.8 parts per billion — an improvement from the 28.5 ppb recorded in August. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for lead set an action level of 15 parts per billion for 90 percent of the homes in a community.

The system needs more of the chemicals — orthophosphates and chlorine — moving through pipelines and plumbing fixtures to combat lead contamination and bacteria growth, researchers said Tuesday."

Jim Lynch reports for the Detroit News April 13, 2016.