Gov. Rick Snyder said getting clean water to Flint residents remained the top priority for state officials, but there are no current plans to replace the corroded lead pipes.

Carlos Osorio / AP

Michigan officials on Wednesday wouldn’t estimate whether it would take weeks, months, or longer before Flint residents’ water would be safe to drink, and there are no current plans to replace the corroded lead pipes at the heart of the crisis.

“It’s not based on chronology. It’s based on having good test results that show it’s safe,” Gov. Rick Snyder said at a press conference. Water testing by experts earlier in the crisis was questioned by state regulators, who maintained Flint’s water was safe more than a year after lead contamination began. On Wednesday, the state’s new interim environmental quality director said no longer would his department ignore the work of outside experts. “We are on the same page, and we’ll make sure we’re on the same page,” said Director Keith Creagh. “There is no excuse...We’ll make sure the data is accurate, vetted, and transparent.” Officials gathered Wednesday to lay out short-term plans for addressing the lead contamination crisis as well as talk of their commitment for longer term fixes. Among the short-term actions would be continuing to supply bottled water and filters to residents, as well as asking the federal government to extend Medicaid eligibility to all children under the age of 21. Water testing would also continue, and a team of experts will be working with state and local officials to determine its safety.

Carlos Osorio / AP

“This is about working together to address the issue,” Snyder said. Lead from old pipes began leaching into water after the city’s water source was switched from Detroit to the more corrosive Flint River in 2014. Residents complained of their water’s brownish color, taste, and smell, and testing by outside experts confirmed a high presence of lead. For months, however, officials questioned the accuracy of the tests. Emails showed blame being shifted between state and local leaders, and residents concerns being dismissed. A task force later found fault with state environmental regulators, and earlier this month, Snyder apologized for the state response and declared a state of emergency. The regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency also resigned. The acknowledgements came far too late, according to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union also on Wednesday. “Public trust has been eroded by government officials’ efforts to evade responsibility in this crisis,” the suit said. “The damage done to city pipes from the Flint River water means that lead will continue to contaminate Flint’s drinking water. This contamination poses an ongoing health risk to the city’s residents, especially young children, who are most vulnerable to the effects of lead.” Snyder said the state’s first priority remained getting clean water to Flint. “Our goal is to get the water coming out of the tap safe as soon as possible,” Snyder said Wednesday. To do that most quickly, Snyder said officials would be working to recoat the interior of Flint’s lead pipes. Clean water is again coming into the city from Detroit, but the corroded lead pipes remain beneath Flint’s surface. Conversations about replacing lead pipes — and even identifying their location — is a longer term issue, Snyder said. “Where they are, we’re still mapping all that,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to be done there.”

AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File