Correspondence among

Thanks, Richard. Your summary of the Flint situation is certainly appropriate. In the event you think there is a need for reactive media (e.g. responses to inaccurate media reports, etc.) from MDEQ, I know Karen Tommasulo is happy to advise/assist.

Well, the Flint situation is certainly not a “good naws” story and the media is well aware of it. But it sounds like it may be an appropriate sublect for this effort. | provided the following summary earlier today in a response to sorne EPA staff in Region S that do not work in the drinking water program. Last spring, the city of Flint decided to begin relying upon the Flint River as their source of drinking water using a treatment plant that was designed to do so. Last sumrner, the city experienced difficulties with siagnation in some areas of the distribution systern due to significantly reduced demands resulting from the loss of a significant percentage of their residential and industrial demands that accelerated over the last decade. During the surnmer of 2074, they alse had a couple of monitoring periods where they detected total coliform at monitoring ses in inese stagnant areas, and one time they detected E.coli present. The ensuing boil water advisories and public notification heightened custorner concern about the quailty of drinking water and the switch frorn Detroit to the Flint River. Detroit supplied Flint with drinking water from Lake Huron, a much higher quality source than the Flint River. However, monitaring of the Flint water treatment plant tap has never indicated unacceptable water entering the distribution system. In response ta these coliform detectians and in an effort to prevent 4 recurrence, the cily also increased flushing water mains in low flow areas and they have atlernpied to ensure the presence of a chlorine residual throughout the distribution system. Compounding the problem of customer confidence was the results of inilial rnonitering for disinfection byproducts under the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule. The initial monitoring reported significantly elevated levels of telal tihalornethane (TTHM) compounds throughout the city’s distribution system. Our district office advised the city that they needed to immediately implement operational techniques at the treatment plant and in the distribution systern to reduce the fornation of these compounds. The steps the city has taken have been successful and have reduced TTHM concentrations to the point where the latest results are below the drinking water standard. However, the standard is calculated on a running annual average and i is likely to be ancther 3 to G months before the annual average at each monitoring siation will (hopefully) meet the standard. Until then, the city has to continue to provide quarterly oublic notification, which will continue to concem residenis despite the iatest TTHM results. xxxEND_PAGE:deq21_b558_1578_1580_1 The switch to the Flint River, the micrabiolegical problems, and the slevated TTHM concentrations experienced jast year have caused a high level of customer dissatisfaction and distrust in Flint. The city is working diligently to resiore that confidence, bul # will not be accomplished easily or overnight. The city’s switch to the Flint River is an interim measure intended to last only until a 72-inch pipeline from Lake Huron fo the Flint water treatrnert plartis cornpleted. itis currertly under construction and expected to be in operation in mid- 2016. At that point, the city's drinking water should again be very similar in quality to what they were receiving

The audience is the DEQ Communications Outreach Team for next week’s meeting to share information between divisions. It could be a list highlighting newsworthy items (regardless of media coverage), including “hot topics” or proactive good news stories you want the communications office to help package to media/stakeholders. It does not need to be highly technical, but for internal purposes it could be more so then for a general audience. Karen Tommasulo sometimes has ideas for media strategy that we can bring back to our divisions for development on any news item.

Jonathan, Clearly, the Flint situation has been in the news, but | need to understand the target audience before we respond. Who is the audianes and what level of information is appropriate for them?

Richard/Carrie, Do you have updates on what’s currently making news or has the potential to make news for your sections? Richard, I'm guessing Flint’s drinking water is on your list. Thank you in advance for your time and effort in making your contributions. ML Berman Senior Project Manager. EGA Michigan Depariment of Environmental Quality Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance Revolving Loan Section Bermanjenmichigan. 2ov Phone #: 517-284-5400 (note new number) Fax #: 517-373-4797 (note new number) Constitution Hall ~ 4" Floor South (note new floor location) S28 W, Allezan Lanshig, ME48933 (for deliveries} xxxEND_PAGE:deq21_b559_1581_1583_2 OWREF website SRE/SWOQIP webstte: xxxEND_PAGE:deq21_b559_1581_1583_3