@Cripplecreek
From what I've read they knew about it. Just didn't do it.
It started with Detroit. Flint wanted to get off the Detroit water system because they want to charge people outside Detroit more while providing "free" water to city citizens. Detroit got angry about losing the revenue stream from Flint so they threatened to cut off the water a year earlier than the existing contract. This forced Flint to rush the switch and they didn't know what they were doing.
It was stupidity on the part of Flint until they figured out what was going on and tried to cover it up. As it began to filter up through city hall and down through the public it became a free for all grab for cash and political opportunism.
A smart republican would go on the record now and predict even more failure despite the money coming in from the feds.