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 tha

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't going to be completed by the time the contract with Detroit was up. 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. I don'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.