With thousands of Flint residents still exposed to unsafe levels of lead and toxins from their drinking water, 300 union plumbers have decided to take matters into their own hands.
The group of 300 plumbers from unions across the country are taking part in a project to install new faucets and water filters — for free — into homes in and around Flint, Michigan.
According to Think Progress, many residents needed new faucets because their existing faucets were so old they could not accommodate water filters provided by the state.
Hundreds of union plumbers spent the weekend installing water filters for Flint residents for free https://t.co/TrCAdu8lpz
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) February 1, 2016
The project was coordinated by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, known as the United Association. The fixtures were donated by Plumbing Manufacturers International.
For many in Flint, however, new water fixtures and filters will not be enough to combat damage done by the lead contamination issue.
Newly released tests have revealed that the levels of lead in some Flint homes have “exceed the ability of filtration systems handed.” The filters can safely remove up to 150 parts per billion of lead, but some homes have found to have lead levels of more than 4,000 parts per billion.
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