Snyder disagrees with Flint expert over water warning

A national scientist who worked on the Flint water crisis is saying if you have lead water pipes you should buy a filter, but Gov. Rick Snyder is telling us tonight he is not ready to issue a state mandate to do that for all parts of the state.

Dr. Marc Edwards, the noted authority on lead in the water, believes there is a silver lining in the flint water crisis.

Here's what we've learned: No matter what corrosion controls are used by municipal water outlets, the water from lead pipes is not safe without filters.

Over the phone during the governor's news conference, he issued this warning to all lead pipe users.

"As long as the lead pipes are there and filters are not in place we will never again be able to say water coming through lead pipes, regardless of how good the corrosion control is, is save by modern standards not only in flint but around the United States," Edwards said.

His solution is to get rid of all the pipes or use a filter.

The governor says there is significant progress on the Flint water crisis, but he is not ready to mandate filters for other citizens all over the state.

"If you have lead service lines you should seriously look at the issue of potentially having a filter if you want complete confidence,” Snyder said.

FOX 2: “Should the state mandate that to protect the public?”

“I’m not going to proclaim that,” he said. “We can always discuss that as part of the legislative process."

Of course, a state mandate to purchase filters would be very costly and the governor is concerned about that.

The governor's water guy in Flint, Rich Baird, says he's got filters but it is up to lawmakers to decide the mandate.

"I'm not a guy who believes government should get into every facet of everyone’s life,” he said.

FOX 2: “Even though lives may be at risk?”

“I care deeply about the sanctity of life,” Baird said. “I also care about our Democratic process and there are people who are elected to wrestle with those questions."

The governor wants lawmakers to debate the lead water safety standards and change them before the end of the year.