Class action lawsuit alleges violations of Safe Drinking Water Act Proposed class includes thousands of Benton Harbor residents exposed to lead in water NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than a dozen residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, have sued a group of mostly government officials, including the town"s mayor and the state"s governor, alleging failures to warn of extreme toxicity in the area"s drinking water. The plaintiffs who filed the proposed class action in Michigan federal court on Wednesday say in their complaint that for at least three years, they"ve been exposed to toxic lead through water piped into their homes, schools and other public places. The named plaintiffs seek to represent a class of "thousands," claiming the government"s failure to notify violated the Safe Drinking Water Act. The offices of defendants Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last month, officials in the southwestern Michigan town of nearly 10,000 declared a state of emergency over the lead in their tap water, according to local media reports. The declaration came days after Whitmer signed a directive to urgently replace the town"s lead pipes, and the state began providing the community with bottled water. "It is outrageous that a community is being subjected to the harm caused by the lead," said Alice Jennings, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in Wednesday"s lawsuit. The complaint was filed the same day that a federal judge approved a settlement worth $626 million for victims of the lead water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The case is Braziel et al v. Whitmer et al, United States District Court Western District of Michigan, No. 1:21-cv-00960. For Braziel et al: Alice Jennings of Edwards & Jennings