Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Elon Musk speaking in Chicago. Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images
Elon Musk has promised to fund fixes to the water supplies of homes in Flint, Michigan "that has water contamination above FDA levels" amid the city's struggle to work its way out of an economic depression and find clean water sources for its citizens.
The backdrop: Flint's water supply was contaminated with lead in 2014, when officials changed the city's water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in a cost-saving measure. The water from the new source was not treated properly, and ate into lead-containing pipes, causing the contamination.
Threat level: Lead is highly toxic and can affect the heart, kidneys and nervous system. Children are especially at risk since lead exposure can impair cognition and cause disorders that can last a lifetime.
Though the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates the water contamination levels (as opposed to the FDA as Musk mentioned,) announced last month, the city "currently meets regulatory criteria for lead and copper" in its water, city residents and homeowners say it remains undrinkable and thus unsafe.