March 17 hearing set on whether to stop Flint water bills

FLINT, Mich. – A judge will hear arguments in two weeks on a request to stop Flint from charging people for water during the lead crisis.

Attorneys representing Beatrice Boler and other residents are seeking an injunction. They say Flint is sending bills despite supplying “undrinkable” water.

For 18 months, corrosive water from the Flint River leached lead from old plumbing. The city switched water supplies last fall, but the emergency is far from over. Residents are using filters.

State lawmakers are sending $30 million to Flint, but the money covers only a portion of the water bills.

Attorney Valdemar Washington says residents have a right to be free of government-created dangers. Flint declined to comment Tuesday. A hearing is set for March 17 in Ann Arbor federal court.