Flint was at the end of a long term agreement with Detroit for water. It was going to go in with another municipality for their own pipe to the lake. Except that wasn&#x27;t going to be completed by the time the contract with Detroit was up.<p>Detroit, being hard for cash, and realizing that Flint was going to be a short-term customer, had proposed higher rates in the short term. Flint thought that was too much and decided to use their river.<p>I don&#x27;t know if Flint could have negotiated a new long-term agreement with Detroit for water rather than the construction of a new pipe to the lake.