Residents of Benton Harbor in Michigan on Wednesday were urged to use only bottled water for drinking and cooking, marking a major shift in the state’s response to the city’s elevated levels of lead in the environment.

The state previously promised to provide residents of the area with free filters and water. However, federal regulators of the United States are currently reviewing the efficacy of the said water filters in removing lead, according to US media reports citing statements from the Health Department.

The state said more than 15,000 cases of water will be delivered in coming days to the predominantly Black and mostly low-income community.

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“We think they probably are effective,” health department director Elizabeth Hertel said of the filters.

“Right now don’t use the water for cooking or drinking, even the filtered water, until we can guarantee the efficacy of those filters,” Hertel told The Associated Press.

She didn’t know how long it would take. Filters so far have been given to more than 2,600 homes, the department said.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency said it is evaluating how filters perform specifically on Benton Harbor’s water chemistry.

“Certified filters that are properly installed and maintained are very effective in reducing lead concentrations in drinking water,” the Environmental Protection Agency said while citing studies.

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A local activist, the Reverand Edward Pinkney, said he has boxes of filters at his church. He’s pleased with the state’s emphasis on bottled water but said residents need to hear a stronger message.

Benton Harbor, population 9,600, is in Berrien County, 100 miles from Chicago. Pinkney and environmental groups have accused Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration and local officials of failing to adequately respond since lead contamination was discovered three years ago.

Whitmer has called for spending $20 million in Benton Harbor to replace nearly 6,000 service lines, most suspected of containing lead, within five years.

(With AP inputs)