Flint’s water now meets federal safety standards for lead and has done so for a full decade. In May 2025, the EPA formally lifted its 2016 emergency order on Flint’s drinking water, confirming the city has completed all requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The most recent testing period (July through December 2025) found lead at 6 parts per billion at the 90th percentile, well below the federal action level of 15 ppb. That said, the story is more nuanced than a simple yes or no, especially for residents with older plumbing.
What the Latest Testing Shows
Flint’s water is tested every six months for lead. The 90th percentile result means that 90% of sampled sites had lead levels at or below the reported number. For the second half of 2025, that number was 6 ppb. During the first half of 2025 it was 3 ppb; the bump to 6 ppb was partly due to a larger number of business sites included in the sampling round.
For context, at the peak of the crisis in April 2015, Virginia Tech researchers measured lead at 27 ppb. The federal action level is 15 ppb, and Flint has remained below that threshold since 2016. No amount of lead in water is considered completely safe, but Flint’s current numbers are lower than what many other U.S. cities have reported in recent years. About 2% of public water systems nationwide exceeded the federal lead limit between 2014 and 2016, and cities like Newark, Pittsburgh, and Portland have all reported lead problems of their own.
Where Flint’s Water Comes From Now
Flint no longer draws from the Flint River, the source switch that triggered the crisis. In 2017, the city signed a 30-year agreement with the Great Lakes Water Authority in Detroit, which supplies treated water from Lake Huron. The city also built a 5.5-mile backup pipeline connecting to the Genesee County water system, so there is now a secondary source if the primary line ever goes down.
Even though the water arrives pre-treated, Flint’s own water treatment plant adds corrosion-control chemicals before it enters the distribution system. The key additive is orthophosphate, a compound that coats the inside of pipes and prevents lead from leaching into the water. Michigan regulators require Flint to maintain orthophosphate levels between 3.1 and 3.7 milligrams per liter, and the state monitors pH, iron, and chlorine levels alongside it.
Lead Pipe Replacement Progress
The underground infrastructure that caused much of the contamination has been largely replaced. By July 2025, the city confirmed that all lead service lines covered under its federal settlement agreement had been removed, nearly 11,000 lines total. Roughly 98% of residential lead service lines in the city are now gone.
About 500 lines still need replacement. These belong to homeowners who previously opted out of the work or were discovered during a citywide inventory of pipe materials completed in late 2024. The state continues working with Flint to address those remaining connections. If you live in Flint and are unsure whether your service line has been replaced, the city’s pipe inventory is the place to check.
What Happened With Legionella
The water crisis wasn’t only about lead. Between 2014 and 2015, Flint and surrounding Genesee County experienced outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria that can grow in water systems with inadequate disinfection. Testing at McLaren Flint Hospital during that period found Legionella in 75% of patient rooms sampled in late 2014, rising to more than 95% of patient areas by August 2015.
The Legionella outbreaks were tied to the same period when the city was using poorly treated Flint River water. Since the switch back to a properly treated Lake Huron supply with consistent chlorine levels, the conditions that allowed Legionella to thrive in the distribution system have been addressed.
Lead Exposure in Children
The long-term health effects of the crisis, particularly for children, remain an active concern. The Flint Registry has enrolled over 18,000 people exposed during the crisis, including more than 5,600 children, connecting them with health monitoring and support services.
Blood lead testing data from 2021 (the most recent year with complete figures) offers some reassurance about current exposure levels. Among children under six living in Flint, 2.3% had elevated blood lead levels at or above 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, the CDC’s current reference value. Only 0.3%, or 6 children out of 1,837 tested, had levels at or above 9.5 micrograms per deciliter. These numbers reflect lead exposure from all sources combined, not just water. Lead paint in older homes remains a significant contributor, and the city’s Lead Safe Home Program continues to make referrals for home inspections and remediation.
Ongoing Oversight
The EPA’s emergency order is gone, but regulatory oversight has not disappeared. In 2024, Flint entered an administrative consent order with Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to ensure continued compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule and the Safe Drinking Water Act. The state publishes distribution system monitoring data for pH, orthophosphate, iron, and chlorine on an ongoing basis.
For anyone living in Flint or considering a move there, the water leaving the treatment plant is consistently meeting federal standards. The remaining risk is localized: homes that still have one of the roughly 500 unreplaced lead service lines, or homes with older interior plumbing that contains lead solder. Running your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using it for drinking or cooking helps flush water that has been sitting in contact with pipes, and a filter certified for lead removal (look for NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certification) adds another layer of protection if your home’s plumbing status is uncertain.