Benton Harbor, Michigan, Declares Water Emergency

Oct. 20, 2021

Lead levels in the water system of Benton Harbor, Michigan, have led city officials to declare an emergency, according to news reports. Residents have been told to use bottled water.

The state has known about the high levels of lead since 2018, according to reports, and put a price tag of $30 million on replacing all the lead pipes in the city of about 150,000 residents. About $11 million is still needed to complete the project, which Governor Gretchen Whithmer’s office said is projected to take another 18 months, according to news reports.

Watch a video report from CBS News here.