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State spends $3.6 million on Flint emergency paychecks

LANSING, MI (AP)--   State data shows Michigan has spent millions to pay government workers scrambling to provide water, filters and other resources after lead contaminated Flint's water. 

Michigan has spent more than $3.6 million for things like distributing and sampling water and administrative work.

The failure to provide corrosion control allowed water to scrape lead from the pipes after the city switched its water supply to the Flint River in 2014 to cut costs.

More than 500 people were paid to work on the Flint water crisis by the end of February compared to 200 people now.

The state has spent more than $22 million responding to the health emergency.

Officials say filtered water is now safe except for pregnant women and children under age 6.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.