(Benton Harbor, Michigan)—The construction of Benton Harbor, Michigan has finally begun to replace the lead-contaminated service lines that have poisoned the water supply of predominantly black communities for many years.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited a construction site in a western Michigan city on Tuesday. The first lead service line is being replaced after the governor previously announced a commitment to remove 100% lead service lines within 18 months .

"I am proud of the progress we are making, and I look forward to more," Whitmer said in a statement. "I believe we can achieve our goal of replacing the 100% lead service line in Benton Harbor within 18 months and using the $1.3 billion in the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to protect each community’s Safe drinking water."

Whitmer said she attended a community meeting to "listen directly to local staff to help residents."

The governor added: "We will not rest until every parent is confident to give their children a glass of water, knowing it is safe."

Some residents expressed regret that the government's actions and concerns about the water crisis came too late.

According to a petition submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency by the Natural Resources Conservation Commission on behalf of local advocacy groups and residents in September, elevated levels of lead have been detected in Benton Harbor's water supply system since at least 2018.

The petition stated that residents were living "at a serious and dangerous level three years after the first discovery of lead pollution, and there is no immediate solution" and called it an "environmental justice" issue.

According to the latest census data, approximately 45% of Benton Harbor residents live in poverty and 85% are black. As lawmakers in the country’s capital are considering the Biden administration’s $1 trillion "rebuild better" infrastructure plan, the crisis has also raised strong concerns about the impact of the country’s dilapidated infrastructure on the real world.

According to Whitmer's office, the estimated cost of replacing 100% of Benton Harbor's main service lines is $30 million. So far, state legislators have allocated approximately US$18.6 million, but there is still a deficit of approximately US$11.4 million. Whitmer had previously called on the state legislature to use the remaining federal funds sent to Michigan through the American rescue program during the pandemic to ensure the safety of the funds.

The Mayor of Benton Harbor, Marcus Mohammed, said in a statement on Tuesday: “We need to get rid of the leadership of Benton Harbor as soon as possible. This funding will now replace about 100 major service lines.” “My focus is to protect this. Residents of this great city, I look forward to 100% replacement of lead wires within an 18-month positive timetable to ensure that families have access to safe drinking water."

Last month, Whitmer signed an administrative order to try to use all available tools to solve the water crisis in Benton Harbor. Some of the actions taken by the directive include ensuring that residents continue to receive free bottled water until further notice (although the distribution of this water faces some obstacles), providing free or low-cost lead-related services, such as drinking water testing kits, and more.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that lead poisoning can bring about a series of harmful health effects, including: abdominal pain, constipation, headache, irritability, loss of appetite, pain or tingling of hands and/or feet, and weakness.

In addition, the census data from Benton Harbor further shows that nearly 28% of the population are children under the age of 18. The CDC pointed out on its website that the impact of lead on children is usually greater than that on adults, and children often show lower signs of severe lead poisoning than adults.

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