Updated October 15th:
Free bottled water for drinking will be made available to City of Benton Harbor, Michigan, residents by The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
There will also be a door-to-door effort to distribute water filters in the city during the coming days and weeks, according to the Michigan EGLE press release.
The goals of these efforts is to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in drinking water and to ensure residents have access to safe drinking water while the city replaces lead service lines. The water is free and city residents may take up to three cases of water per individual.
Distribution is at the following locations and times:
- Sept. 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency (CAA) at 331 Miller St., Benton Harbor. The CAA location will also distribute water Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. until noon; Oct.. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m.; and, Oct. 7 from 4 to 6 p.m.;
- Oct. 1 from 2 to 6 p.m. at God's Household of Faith, 275 Pipestone, Benton Harbor; And
- Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Abundant Life Church of God in partnership with the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency, 693 Columbus Ave., Benton Harbor
More distribution points will be announced and updates can be found here.
The aforementioned door-to-door campaign will also provide water filters to all residents and share information on how to install and maintain the filters to effectively remove lead. Lead levels in city drinking water have exceeded federal action standards for three consecutive years and work is underway to replace all lead service lines within the city, reported CBS Local Detroit.
The outreach is a collaborative effort of the City of Benton Harbor, the Berrien County Health Department (BCHD), local community organizations, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Free water will be available until the filter distribution is completed, and the target is Oct. 8, reported the Michigan EGLE press release.
On Oct. 15, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced two updated locations for free bottled water and has initiated efforts to begin deliveries to students, teachers, and support staff along with residents in multi-family dwellings to ensure residents across the city have access to drinking water, reported MDHHS.
Water deliveries to the Benton Harbor Areas Schools begin next week, according to MDHHS. Water will be made available to residents and students and more to provide easier access to bottled water for facilities that house a large number of people.
The National Resources Defense Council said the free water should continue beyond early October.
“There’s this ongoing issue — as we all saw in Flint — of filter maintenance and of ensuring that the filters are being used properly,” said Cyndi Roper of the NRDC, reported CBS Local Detroit. “It shouldn’t end with a swing through the community, dropping off filters and having a conversation about filter use.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer previously proposed spending $20 million in Benton Harbor to replace nearly 6,000 service lines within five years.
