More than a decade after toxic water poured from the taps and government trust went down the drain in Flint, Michigan, residents are finally seeing real progress. The state is set to announce that most of the city’s lead pipes have been replaced — over 10 years after the city’s water crisis sparked national outrage.

Officials said fallout from the crisis led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 2024 to make changes to the process used to detect lead in drinking water samples. The EPA also lowered allowable lead limits and set a replacement timeline of 10 years for all lead service lines.

Flint has replaced most of its lead water pipes, more than ten years after contaminated water was found in the Michigan city's water system, prompting national outrage