An entire year before the residents of Flint, Michigan were offered clean bottled water, state officials began providing clean water to state employees in Flint.
State officials apparently provided water coolers to employees in Flint according to emails obtained by Progress Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget decided to haul water coolers into the Flint state building in January of 2015 out of concern over the city’s water quality, a year before bottled water was being made available to residents, according to documents obtained by Progress Michigan.
But concerns raised over water quality were enough for officials in the state’s capitol of Lansing to decide to give state employees the option to drink bottled water from coolers, rather than from water fountains. Coolers were placed next to the fountains on each occupied floor, according to the documents, and were to be provided “as long as the public water does not meet treatment requirements.”
I don't know how this could be taken any other way. It seems to clear to me state officials knew the water wasn't safe to drink at least a year before anyone did anything about it.
If it wasn't safe enough for state employees, why would it be safe for anyone else?
Spending money to deliver water coolers to an office that already has water fountains is not something you do unless you have serious concerns. And now we wait for the next shoe to drop.