FLINT, MI—Citing the significant health and safety risks that it poses to public infrastructure and the local ecosystem, the Environmental Protection Agency released a statement Thursday urging residents of Flint to discontinue dumping tap water down their drains. “We ask those in the city of Flint to immediately cease disposing of any water from their sinks or showers into their home’s drainpipes, as this liquid has been known to cause severe damage to sewer systems and the environment,” read the statement, which explained to citizens that local waste treatment facilities are not capable of purifying the corrosive liquid and that any tap water that went down their drains would eventually make its way into the region’s groundwater, where it would accumulate and cause lasting and irreversible harm to local plant and wildlife populations. “Please be advised that dumping the water out onto your yard or down a storm drain is equally hazardous, and we strongly advise against it. If you have any unwanted tap water, please carefully seal the liquid in a high-density polyethylene container and store it in a location hidden from small children and pets until it can be collected by a waste disposal professional.” The statement then reminded residents that should they happen to consume the fluid, toxicity testing kits were available free of charge to determine whether their urine is safe to flush down the toilet.

Advertisement