FLINT, MI - Federal prosecutors are investigating Flint's water crisis, an official said.

Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade, confirmed Tuesday, Jan. 5, that the agency is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the city's water contamination.

U.S. Attorneys, whose offices are organized under the Department of Justice, handle criminal prosecutions for the federal government, as well as non-criminal issues, such as civil rights violations.

Balaya declined to identify specifics of the investigation or any timeline associated with reaching a decision.

"The administration has not been contacted by the U.S. Attorney's Office on this matter at this time," said Snyder spokesman Dave Murray. "Gov. Snyder has appointed an independent panel that is reviewing all state, local and federal actions related to Flint's water challenges, and we are committed to working with Mayor Karen Weaver and county leaders as we focus on protecting the health of Flint residents and all Michiganders."

The announcement of the investigation comes less than a week after the MLive Media Group Editorial Board called for federal prosecutors to look at the case.

Typically, the U.S. Attorney's Office does not confirm or deny active investigations, but Balaya said her agency decided to go public with the investigation in response to letters and other inquiries from the public.

Elevated blood lead levels have been detected in some of the city's youngest residents after the decision to use the Flint River as the city's water source. The decision was made while the city was run by four separate emergency managers appointed by Snyder.

In October, the state Department of Environmental Quality acknowledged that it had failed to require the city to treat Flint River water to make it less corrosive.

Corrosive water also caused lead to leach from pipes and fixtures, and the number of children with elevated blood lead levels in the city more than doubled while the river was in use, according to a Flint pediatrician's study released in September.

City and county officials have declared a state of emergency over the city's water issues and they are awaiting a decision from Snyder on if he will forward the emergency declaration to President Barack Obama for federal assistance.

The Snyder-appointed Flint Water Advisory Task Force has pegged the "substance and tone" of Department of Environmental Quality communications as one of the state's failures, along with failing to correctly interpret lead and copper rule and a regulatory failure, in its handling of the water situation.

On Monday, a spokesman for Snyder said in a statement that the Michigan State Police's Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division has already begun working with county emergency management officials to gather information about the resources needed for a governor's disaster declaration.

"The health and welfare of Flint residents is a top priority, and we're committed to working closely with Mayor Weaver and the Genesee County Commission on a coordinated response to health and infrastructure issues," the statement says.