Water Relief

Local Flint clergy and residents stand behind a sign declaring Gov. Rick Snyder's Water Bill efforts during a press conference on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 at University of Michigan Flint-Riverfront Banquet Center in Flint. Snyder signed the $30-million budget supplemental to reimburse Flint water customers with credits on their water bills for water used for drinking cooking and bathing. Rachel Woolf | MLive.com

FLINT, Mich. -- City officials say the state will stop picking up the tab for the city's drinking water and end water credits for customers beginning March 1.

The changes come as state officials tout improving water quality. City residents are still being advised not to drink the water unless it has been properly filtered.

Flint spokeswoman Kristin Moore said in a Thursday, Feb. 9, press release that the city was notified by a letter from the state that Flint water customers will no longer receive water relief credits.

"A senior advisor to Governor Rick Snyder has sent Flint's Interim Chief Financial Officer, David Sabuda, a letter to inform him the credits currently being applied to the water portion of Flint utility customers' accounts will no longer be provided after February 28, 2017," Moore wrote. "State officials note the latest 6-month cycle of water testing that had results below the federal action level for the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR)."

In addition to the credits ending, Moore said after this month the state will no longer provide funding for Flint's connection to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), which amounts to about $1.2 million a month.

Moore said the state pointed to findings from November 2016 sentinel site water testing showing Flint's water had a 90th percentile value of 8 ppb of lead and cited the outcome as its reason for discontinuing the funding.

March bills will be the last to include the state water relief credits of 20 percent for commercial accounts and 65 percent for residential accounts.

Gov. Rick Snyder introduced the water relief act to help offset utility cost for Flint customers February 26, 2016. Since then, Flint launched a citywide water bill collection push to keep with the states demands of having a 70 percent water bill collection rate to keep the credits.

"I am aware that the water quality in the City of Flint is improving and that is a good thing," said Mayor Karen Weaver. "We knew the state's assistance with these water related expenses would come to an end at some point, I just wish we were given more notice so we at City Hall, and the residents had more time to prepare for the changes."

According to Moore's release, more than $40.4 million in water relief credits have been applied to Flint water customer accounts.

"I appreciate all the work everyone has done to help the citizens and the City of Flint move forward," said Weaver. "We will continue working to fully recover from this water crisis and make sure residents have the resources, services and support they need."

State Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said he was disappointed with the state's decision, calling it "dumb and dangerous."

Ananich said he met with Snyder just Wednesday, Feb. 8, and wasn't told of the plan.

"It's unfortunate for a number of reasons," he said. "You're giving people such little notice (and the water is testing) barely below the threshold (for lead)."

Staff writer Ron Fonger contributed to this report.