FLINT, MI -- The state is getting an expensive daily reminder of the cost of the Flint water crisis more than two years after acknowledging it -- a bill that amounts to more than $22,000 every 24 hours.

Records from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality detail the latest spending, one of the state supports to the city that's expected to be reviewed starting this month following a third round of water testing in buildings operated by Flint Community Schools.

Although the state ended its own water distribution program in Flint in September, it's continued to pay the cost of water that the city is now in charge of delivering through the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.

From October through February, that water alone cost $3.2 million, an average of $653,075 per month, DEQ records show.

So far this year, bottled water costs have inched up at an even quicker pace -- an average of $668,719 monthly.

"They are burning through water. People are using it," said Jamie Gaskin, chief executive officer of the United Way of Genesee County, whose group is involved in part of the current distribution system.

The United Way provided $40,000 to assist in establishing and maintaining small water pickup stations at Christ Fellowship Baptist Church, El Shaddai Ministries, Joy Tabernacle, Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist, Salem Lutheran Church and Vernon Chapel.

In addition to those stations, there are primary water distribution sites at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, a lot on Franklin Avenue, West Court Street Church of God and Eastown Bowling Alley.

Continued heavy use of bottled water has come even though testing has shown steady improvement in tap water lead levels during the past 18 months and comes more than two years after Flint was reconnected to pre-treated Lake Huron water from the Great Lakes Water Authority.

In its most recent Lead and Copper Rule testing, 90 percent of 134 samples collected in Flint were at or below 6 parts per billion of lead, less than one-half the federal action limit.

Local, state and federal officials are also conferring weekly on water quality issues other than lead, monitoring pH, phosphate and chlorine levels from samples taken at dozens of monitoring sites around the city.

Despite those efforts, demand continues to be strong for bottled water.

The Food Bank says it's distributing approximately 46 semi-trailers of water each week -- equal to 828 pallets of water.

Gaskin said he believes part of the reason for continued bottled water demand is that some residents are hoarding water in anticipation of an end to the state supply.

Another possibility, he said, is that people who no longer have municipal water are using the bottled water for drinking, bathing or even toilet flushing because its free.

On Monday, March 12, the city announced it has resumed water shutoffs, potentially putting more residents in the same boat.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Mayor Karen Weaver for comment on issues related to state funding for bottled water but she said earlier this month that the state should continue to supply bottled water to the city until all lead and galvanized service lines have been replaced -- something that might not be accomplished until 2019.

Representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have warned of the potential of particulate lead in city drinking water during construction season because of a large amount of underground disruptions related to service line removals.

DEQ officials have said there is no timeline for making recommendations about support to Flint once their review of city water quality begins but a spokeswoman has said the review "will guide any decisions and/or recommendations to come."

Of the nearly $300 million appropriated by the state for Flint since the water crisis began, safe water -- including bottled water and faucet filters -- have been the largest single line item.

The bottled water being purchased this year comes through a $16.7-million contract between the state and Absopure Water Company. Depending on where the water is delivered from, the state is paying Absopure from $2.35 to $2.90 per case of water, according to the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

Absopure got the contract to provide the water after the state solicited bid quotes from three vendors, according to Caleb Buhs, director of communications for DTMB.