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Obama tells Flint residents: 'I've got your back'

That doesn't mean Flint's lead service lines don't need to be replaced, Obama said, but that could take two years or even longer.

Flood said that could happen if Glasgow fulfills all the conditions of the agreement, including cooperating and testifying later on.

Wearing a navy blue sports jacket, checkered shirt and blue tie, Glasgow did not speak at the hearing other than to say he understood the plea.

After coughing several times during his remarks, Obama asked for and drank from a glass of water.

Doing so lowered the average lead level below the threshold that would have required residents to be notified of the risky lead levels in the water supply, the document said.

"Decisions would never have been made in the high-handed and cavalier manner that occurred in Flint if the affected population group was well-off or overwhelmingly white", Philip Alston, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said in a statement Tuesday.

The defendants were charged in connection with the investigation into the Flint water crisis by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who said Wednesday more charges will come "Capital letters SOON".

Last week, Flint residents filed a damage claim for $220 million against the EPA alleging that negligence led to the injuries of more than 500 people.

To save money while under state management, the city stopped using Detroit's Lake Huron water and began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014.

Snyder's appearance at a Flint high school Wednesday surprised more than 1,000 people who were waiting to hear from President Barack Obama.

Glasgow, 40, and two state workers, all of whom were responsible for maintaining safe water in Flint, were charged criminally last month. Obama said he normally doesn't engage in stunts, but said he took a swig of the filtered water to show it's safe.

Officials have been assuring still skeptical residents that filtered tap water is now safe to drink. At that point, however, the crisis was in full bloom.

The source of the city's water has been switched back to Detroit, but the lead problem still is not fully solved. But the Environmental Protection Agency's response has come under criticism from Snyder and some in Congress who say the EPA didn't move with the necessary urgency upon hearing of problems. An inspector general is investigating the EPA's response.

During his address on Wednesday, Obama warned that it would take a while to rebuild Flint's water system - which is getting help thanks in part to an $80 million push in funding by the President - urging citizens to not give up in the meantime.

Snyder spoke and was booed loudly as he was introduced in the gymnasium. A Senate committee last week approved a $220 million aid package as part of a broader bill that would authorize almost $4.8 billion for water-related projects around the country. Snyder has apologized repeatedly for his administration's failure to treat water that caused lead to leach from old plumbing.

Outside the school, Reneta Richard, a teacher and Flint resident, said she hopes Obama's trip has some effect on her hometown.

"The president will make a broader argument about just how important it is for government at all levels to function effectively", said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

"I want him to leave a check - right here, right now - for pipe removal and medical bills and the life we're going to suffer", said Richard, 37, a single mom. The bill could come up for a Senate vote in May.

During the trip, federal officials announced $10 million to build and renovate community health centers in MI so they could serve more patients.

Obama was in Flint to address the community that the federal government wasn't ignoring the problems at hand and that the highest eyes in government were privy to their situation.

The White House points out that MI brought charges against three state and local officials last month for misleading regulatory officials and manipulating water tests.

stayontheblack.com

Obama tells Flint residents: 'I've got your back'