Joe Guillen

Detroit Free Press

An online poster from the State of Michigan about bathing in lead-tainted Flint water featuring babies and a cutesy tone has been taken down from a state website.

A spokesman for Gov. Rick Snyder would not say when the poster was removed but it was pointed out and ridiculed in the Metro Times on Friday.

"That was an older graphic," Snyder spokesman Dave Murray said in an e-mail Saturday. "The state, working with its local partners, is updating all of its materials relating to Flint water."

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The poster sought to reassure Flint residents in the midst of a public health emergency that they can wash with water from their taps, which became contaminated with lead in 2014 when the city switched from accessing water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the more-polluted Flint River. The cost-cutting move was made while Flint was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager.

The online poster said, "Hey Flint! It's safe to wash!" and "Just don't let kids drink the bath water when they play in the tub...YUCK!"

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Kary Moss, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said Saturday the poster is the state's latest misstep in handling the Flint water situation. Moss said the poster's message is inappropriate because it seems to downplay concerns about the contaminated water. The dismissive attitude was evident from early on, when residents complained about discolored water, she said.

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"You had residents complaining about smelly, bad tasting water immediately after the switch" from Lake Huron water, Moss said. "This overly technical thinking makes no sense if you have any kind of public health background. Where were the grown-ups?"

Although the poster was taken down from michigan.gov/flintwater, an advisory remains on the website informing residents that the water is safe to use for washing because "lead in bath water will not soak into your skin fast or at high levels."

Contact Joe Guillen: 313-222-6678 or jguillen@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joeguillen.