Timeline of Events

March 2012

Genesee County announces a new pipeline is being designed to deliver water from Lake Huron to Flint. The plan is to reduce costs by switching the city's water supplier from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) to the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA).

April 2013 

Per the city council's recommendation, the state treasurer, authorizes Flint to make the switch to Flint River water.

The switch to Flint River water takes place.

August 2014

The city announces fecal coliform bacterium has been detected in the water supply, prompting a boil water advisory for a neighborhood on the west side of Flint.

October 2014 

The General Motors plant in Flint stops using the city's water due to concerns about high levels of chlorine corroding engine parts. The company strikes a deal with a neighboring township to purchase water from Lake Huron in lieu of using water from the Flint River. The switch is anticipated to cost the city $400,000.

January 2015

The city warns residents the water contains byproducts of disinfectants that may cause health issues including an increased risk for cancer over time. The water is deemed safe for the general population, but the elderly and parents of young children are cautioned to consult with their doctors.

The DWSD offers to reconnect the city with Lake Huron water, waiving a $4 million fee to restore service. City officials decline, citing concerns water rates could go up more than $12 million each year, even with the reconnection fee waiver.

February 2015

The EPA notifies the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) it has detected dangerous levels of lead in the water at the home of Flint resident Lee-Anne Walters. A mother of four, she initially contacted the EPA with concerns about dark sediment in her tap water.

March 2015

Flint City Council members vote 7-1 to stop using river water and to reconnect with Detroit water. However, state-appointed emergency manager overrules the vote, calling it "incomprehensible," claiming that costs would skyrocket and that "water from Detroit is no safer than water from Flint."

June 2015

A group of clergymen and activists files a lawsuit against the city, charging that the river water is a health risk. The city attorney later says the lawsuit is baseless. The case is dismissed in September.

July 2015

The ACLU posts a video about the lead in Walters' water. Flint Mayor Dayne Walling drinks a cup of tap water on a local television report to ensure residents that it is safe.

After the EPA memo is leaked by the ACLU, a spokesman for the MDEQ tells Michigan Public Radio, "Anyone who is concerned about lead in the drinking water in Flint can relax." He explains initial testing on 170 homes indicates that the problem is not widespread.

September 2015

A team from Virginia Tech that conducted a water quality study issues a preliminary report indicating 40% of Flint homes have elevated lead levels.

After concluding that Flint water is 19 times more corrosive than Detroit water, Virginia Tech recommends the state declare that the water is not safe for drinking or cooking. The river water is corroding old pipes and lead is leaching into the water, according to the study.

October 2015

The MDEQ announces three Flint schools tested positive for dangerous lead levels in the water. Snyder says the city will discontinue using Flint River water.

The city switches back to Detroit water. Residents are cautioned that it will take weeks for the system to be properly flushed out and there may be lingering issues. The EPA establishes a Flint Safe Drinking Water Task Force.

December 2015

Flint declares a state of emergency.

January 2016

The Michigan National Guard is mobilized to help distribute bottled water.

Snyder writes President Barack Obama to request the declaration of an expedited major disaster in Flint, estimating it will cost $55 million to install lead-free pipes throughout the city.

The President declines to declare a disaster in Flint. Instead, he authorizes $5 million in aid, declaring a state of emergency in the city. The state of emergency allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to step in.

November 2016

The state of Michigan and city of Flint are ordered to deliver bottled water to homes where the government hasn't checked to ensure that filters are working properly.

December 2016 

Four officials -- two of Flint's former Emergency Managers, who reported directly to the governor, and two water plant officials -- are charged with felonies of false pretenses and conspiracy.

March 2017

The EPA announces that it has awarded $100 million to Flint for drinking water infrastructure upgrades. A federal judge approves a $97 million settlement, in which the state of Michigan agrees to replace lead and galvanized steel water lines in the Flint by 2020.

April 2018

Snyder announces the end of a free bottled water program in Flint, claiming the water quality has been restored. The program was part of a $450 million state and federal aid package. The state had been handing out bottled water and filters at several distribution points across the city and will stop once the current supply runs out.

April 2019

US Judge Linda V. Parker rules that Flint residents can proceed with lawsuits against the federal government in connection with the city's water crisis.

June 2019

Prosecutors drop all pending criminal charges related to the crisis and declare the investigation will start again from scratch.

April 2019

US Judge Linda V. Parker rules that Flint residents can proceed with lawsuits against the federal government in connection with the city's water crisis.

October 2019

The EPA proposes its first major revision in two decades of federal regulations on lead in drinking water, in response to the crisis in Flint and other cities. The proposed lead and copper rule would change the requirements that local water systems must meet for testing and, if lead content is above allowable levels, the procedures to replace lead service lines from their networks.

April 2020

The state of Michigan and other defendants reach a $600 million settlement in the Flint water crisis lawsuit. The settlement will establish a court-monitored victims compensation fund that will provide direct payments to Flint residents.