Veolia North America Reaches Final Settlement Over Flint Water Crisis
Veolia North America, an engineering firm accused of playing a role in the Flint water crisis, has agreed to pay $53 million to settle all remaining lawsuits. The settlement, announced Friday, comes nearly a decade after lead-contaminated water began flowing into the city’s homes and businesses.
This agreement is in addition to the $26.3 million Veolia had previously settled for and a broader $626 million settlement paid by the state of Michigan and other parties.
Despite the financial resolution, Veolia has consistently denied responsibility for the crisis, arguing that government officials were solely to blame for the events that led to Flint’s water contamination.
Veolia Maintains No Responsibility for Water Contamination
The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the city switched its water source to the Flint River without properly treating the water to prevent pipe corrosion. As a result, lead from aging infrastructure leached into the water supply, exposing tens of thousands of residents—especially children—to dangerous levels of lead.
Veolia was briefly hired as a consultant months after the switch but has argued that it was not responsible for the initial decision to use the river water or for operating the city’s water treatment plant.
“This final settlement is in no way an admission of responsibility,” the company stated. “But it is the best resolution to avoid decades of costly, unproductive, and time-consuming litigation, and to bring closure for all parties involved.”
Veolia emphasized that it had been assured by officials that the water met regulatory standards when it was brought in to provide consulting services. The company also pointed out that the crisis was ultimately “caused by government officials.”
Flint Residents and Michigan Attorney General Respond
The settlement will be distributed among approximately 26,000 Flint residents who were represented by law firms involved in the case, according to the Michigan attorney general’s office. The deal also means that the state of Michigan will drop its own separate lawsuit against Veolia.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called the settlement a long-overdue step toward closure for Flint residents.
“After years of drawn-out legal battles, this settlement finally closes a chapter for Flint residents,” Nessel said.
A Decade-Long Fight for Accountability
The Flint water crisis became one of the nation’s most infamous public health disasters. The city, struggling financially, made the switch from Detroit’s water system to the Flint River in 2014 in an attempt to save money. However, officials failed to properly treat the water, leading to widespread contamination.
By the time Flint returned to a regional water supplier in late 2015, water tests showed dangerously high lead levels in many homes, and children had already suffered exposure.
The crisis prompted national outrage, multiple lawsuits, and criminal charges against state and local officials. Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and other officials faced legal consequences, although many charges were later dismissed or reduced.
The settlements, including this latest $53 million agreement, have provided some financial relief to affected residents, but many still struggle with long-term health and economic impacts caused by the crisis.
