general's lawsuit, LAN in its work between July 2013 and April 2014 "failed to meet its duty of care and competence at a professional standard," the lawsuit alleges. "When the Flint Water Treatment Plant, with upgrades designed and implemented by LAN, began distributing Flint River water" in April 2014, "it did so without implement s corrosion control program."

As for Veolia, the lawsuit alleges the water consulting company was hired by the city in February 2015 as it was dealing with federal safe drinking water violations and residents' complaints about the quality of the water. The company issued an interim report later that month, according to the lawsuit.

"Veolia again states that there is no health or safety problem," saying that discoloration did not mean that the water was necessarilyto Flint's drinking water because iron was leaching from the pipes and turning the water brown. But the city didn't act on the recommendation at the time, which was well after the lead leaching problem began.

Flint's water became contaminated with lead when the city, under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, switched its drinking water source from Lake Huron water treated by the Detroit water system to Flint River water treated at the Flint Water Treatment Plant.

Michigan DEQ officials have acknowledged a disastrous mistake in failing to require the city to add corrosion-control chemicals as part of the treatment process.

The corrosive water caused lead to leach from pipes, joints and fixtures. Although Flint reconnected to Detroit water in October, after state officials acknowledged the lead-poisoning problem after