Another Michigan Water Crisis In Mostly Black Benton Harbor

BENTON HARBOR, MI — Another water crisis has hit Michigan, this time in the mostly Black community of Benton Harbor in the southeast part of the state.

Benton Harbor sits by Lake Michigan, its water source, and has a population of about 10,000. The city is three hours from Flint, which has had a water crisis for years.

Residents as of Thursday were ordered not to use water from the tap and use bottled water instead. The problem is lead has seeped out of old pipes into the city's water supply. Only 5 percent of the old pipes have been replaced, according to CBS.

"There's no urgency with the federal government," Reverend Edward Pinkney told CBS Wednesday. He said he started handing out bottled water to his congregation two years ago and that many residents don't know about the crisis.

"We don't have time," Pinkney told CBS. "My children, life is at stake, your children, life is at stake."

On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced an "all-hands-on-deck" effort to replace the pipes.

"I cannot imagine the stress that moms and dads in Benton Harbor are under as they emerge from a pandemic, work hard to put food on the table, pay the bills, and face a threat to the health of their children," the governor said in a statement. "That's why we are also expediting the timeline to replace lead service lines in an effort to ensure that 100% of the pipes are lead-free in the next 18 months. We will not rest until the job is done and every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe.

"Every Michigander deserves safe drinking water, and every community deserves lead-free pipes."