US judge tells Michigan state to pay $626 mn to Flint residents over contaminated water supply

A $626 million settlement has been awarded by a federal judge in the US on Wednesday against the state of Michigan to residents of the city of Flint. Their drinking water had been poisoned by lead.  

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One of the largest civil settlements in Michigan's history, the payment will mainly go to people, who were children at the time of the water crisis in the former industrial city. It will also benefit adults, who can prove their illnesses were caused by lead poisoning.  

In the ruling, while finalising the amount, US District Judge Judith Levy said, "The settlement reached here is a remarkable achievement for many reasons, not the least of which is that it sets forth a comprehensive compensation programme and timeline that is consistent for every qualifying participant."   

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After 18 months of tough negotiations, the agreement was first reached in August 2020. The most of the payment will come from Michigan, while a small portion will be paid by the city of Flint and an engineering company.  

In the city, at least 12 people had from Legionnaires' disease, which is an infection caused by the initial contamination of the water. Many city residents continue to drink bottled water to this day.  

(With inputs from agencies)