President Obama Sips Filtered Flint Water To Prove It’s Just Fine

Ahead of President Obama’s anticipated visit to Flint, Mich., folks wondered whether he’d drink the city’s water as a symbolic gesture. Governor Rick Snyder expressed hope that Obama would do so, for the Environmental Protection Agency says the water is “safe” to drink if filtered. However, citizens who have watched their families slowly be poisoned by their leaders’ incompetence aren’t willing to take that gamble. They’d rather stick with ungodly amounts of bottled water in the interest of staying healthy.

Many officials have been criminally charged for their role in dropping the ball on this community. And citizens are weary after learning how officials knew of the lead-poisoned water a good year before taking action. So, all eyes were certainly on Obama to see how he’d handle the situation. Sure enough, the POTUS agreed to drink up — he called it a “stunt” — in the presence of spectators. Naturally, folks snapped some photos.

Obama explained how he felt perfectly okay with sipping the water:

“This used a filter. You know, the water around this table, you know, was Flint water that was filtered and it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is that if you’re using a filter, if you’re installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable. As a short-term measure, this is the right thing to do, and frankly it’s going to be a lot more convenient than people traveling long distances to try to lug back a bunch of bottled water.”

The president did, however, remind the press that pregnant women and children under the age of 6 should stick with bottled water. Meanwhile, the unfiltered water in Flint will remain unsafe until many millions of dollars are devoted to replace the city’s water infrastructure. Until then, no one can partake from the drinking fountains at the public high school where Obama spoke later on Wednesday.

(Via ABC News & National Geographic)