January 18, 2022

Water testing for Flint residents is quick and easy with the Flint Community Lab

Flint Community Lab staff collect a water sample from a Flint home. Photo: Mike Naddeo

If you’re a Flint resident who wants to get your tap water tested, there’s an easy way to do it. And it will only take a few minutes of your time.

The McKenzie Patrice Croom Flint Community Lab aims to restore community trust by working with residents and providing an independent analysis of their tap water. The community-led lab, located within the Flint Development Center, opened in October 2020. In 2021, water was tested in more than 1,200 Flint homes. Staff hope to test the water in 8,000 Flint homes in 2022.

Residents can call the lab at 810-875-9127 to request testing. Lab staff will either drop off a kit at your home or schedule time to visit your home to collect a sample. Collection can occur only when the water has been sitting for at least six hours.

Here’s what to expect if lab staff visit you to collect a sample:

Two people will arrive at your home, including the Flint Community Lab outreach coordinator and a lab intern.
They will be wearing facing masks to help keep everyone healthy.
They will fill a bottle with tap water from your faucet.
They will ask you to verify your contact information.
After being at your home for less than 10 minutes, staff will take the water samples back to the lab to be tested.
The lab’s principal chemist and scientists at the lab will test the water for lead and copper.
You can expect a phone call and a letter in the mail with your results within three weeks.

Residents who want to collect samples themselves can drop off the testing kit at the Flint Community Lab. You must call and notify the lab’s outreach coordinator before you arrive.

If a test result shows high lead levels, lab staff will immediately collect another sample and retest your water. If the second sample still shows high amounts of lead, the lab’s outreach team will connect you with local resources to resolve the issue.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is pleased to support the lab’s work in the community. Mott has granted a total of $292,227 to support the lab. This includes $82,227 to Freshwater Future for construction and technical assistance, as well as $210,000 to the Evergreen Community Development Initiative, which operates the Flint Development Center, to support the lab’s first two years of operation and testing.

For more information about the Flint Community Lab, visit flintdc.org/mpc-flint-community-lab or call 810-875-9127.