By Kate Stockrahm

The Flint Water System Advisory Council (WSAC) now has its own landing page. 

The WSAC, which was formed in 2021 to help facilitate communication between Flint’s residents and water utility regarding lead and other water-related issues, launched its own website earlier this month.

“Just like other multi-member bodies in the city that operate under the Open Meetings Act, every time we had a meeting, we would pass along our agenda to folks at City Hall, and an official public notice would be written up and posted to the city website,” Ben Pauli, acting chair of the WSAC, explained of the council’s pre-website days. “At least that was what was supposed to happen.”

Pauli said he and other WSAC members realized the need for their own website when those public notices weren’t reaching residents in the way that they’d hoped. 

“The site is just supposed to be a reflection of our commitment to having honest, inclusive, civil conversations – even about the trickiest water-related issues that we face,” he said. “It’s supposed to be a resource for everybody, regardless of where they come down on these issues.”

The WSAC’s new website houses information about the council and its volunteer members, who are nominated by the mayor and confirmed through City Council vote. It also has a page of frequently asked questions; links to meeting agendas and notes; downloadable versions of Flint’s most recent water quality report and the proposed plan to pay for system upgrades; as well as other resources – such as a video on how to install a faucet water filter.

Ultimately, Pauli explained, the WSAC’s new site serves three main purposes: “raising awareness about the council and its work,” offering “a trustworthy source about water,” and creating “a platform that can act as a jumping-off point for conversations about water issues in the community.”

The WSAC will host one more meeting in 2025, though a date for that meeting has not yet been set. One major issue up for discussion, according to the council’s new webpage, is the water utility’s preferred option for system upgrade payment: applying for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan.

Residents are encouraged to contact the Flint WSAC through a contact form on the new website or via email at wsac@cityofflint.com.