Flint water crisis: Residents asked to flush out lead by running taps

Flint residents who have avoided using their tap water for months, are getting new instructions from city, state and federal officials: Start using your water and often. 

Officials are asking residents and business to turn on each faucet full-on for five minutes a day. That routine needs to be repeated every day for 14 days, according to new guidelines released by city, state and federal officials on Saturday morning.

The problem is that residents aren't using enough water to flush toxic lead out of the pipe system, Virginia Tech water resources engineering professor Marc Edwards told AP.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the city of Flint issued the joint recommendation at an open house on the University of Michigan-Flint campus Saturday morning for all residents.

"There will be no associated cost to residents related to this flushing program," the EPA said in a statement. "Residents will be compensated for the cost associated with flushing in addition to receiving water credits already awarded by the state."

Lawmakers target lead contamination in drinking water

In an interview, acting DEQ director Keith Creagh said credits will be award to every household and business during the two-week, water flushing period. The estimated cost to the state is about $300,000 drawn from existing state resources, Creagh said.

The reimbursement will be in addition to the $30 million in water bill credits expected to start reach residents this coming week.

The recommended flushing program is intended to remove so-called particulate lead that continues to contribute to spiked lead levels throughout the city. Running the taps is also expected to help move a water additive - orthophosphate - through the system more effectively and help stop lead from leaching from pipes into the drinking water.'

How lead gets into your drinking water

"Building a protective coating in pipes does not mean that there is any less urgency to remove lead service lines," the EPA said Saturday. So far, the city has removed more than 30 lead services lines in its effort to replace all of the city's affected pipes.

Here's how Flint residents will do it:

Step 1: Run cold water at the highest flow in the bathtub for 5 minutes. Do not use the showerhead because it has a lower flow rate.

Step 2: Bypass or remove your filter, then run cold water at the highest flow from the kitchen faucet for 5 minutes. Remember to turn your filter back on or reinstall it when done. EPA testing has shown filters are effective at removing even very high levels of lead.

Step 3: Do this every day for 14 days.

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