The conditions on the ground in Flint still do not seem to have sunk in at the Michigan statehouse. Thousands of residents are still relying on trucked-in water, as if they were in a war-zone refugee camp, while worrying that their children may suffer developmental and other health problems from a water system poisoned by lead. Gov. Rick Snyder has been busy apologizing, but the tiny steps he is taking to repair the damage shrink beside the urgency of the problem.

The challenge now is to replace the corroded pipes or perhaps the whole water system in this city of nearly 100,000 as quickly as it can be done. The cost may reach $1 billion or more, but that cannot stand in the way of moving forward to make the city fit for habitation. No Americans should have to live with poisoned water that is a direct result of the government’s decisions and neglect.

Mr. Snyder and officials who work for him first wasted time trying to shift blame for the catastrophe to the city — at least until an independent task force and internal emails released last week showed that the state was responsible. Now he is wasting more time by maneuvering to get out of paying the bill for the huge repairs project.

The state’s claims of limited resources to start replacement or repairs of the water system do not even hold up. Michigan has a budget surplus of $575 million this year that could surely be applied to this crisis of its own making, and if that’s not enough, the governor could always raise taxes in a special levy. The state also has about $600 million in a “rainy day” fund, at least some of which could presumably be used.