(AP) — The state of Michigan sued Flint Wednesday, alleging that the city council's refusal to approve a broadly backed deal to buy water long term from a Detroit-area system is endangering public health in the wake of a man-made crisis that left the supply contaminated with lead. "Ensuring that the residents of Flint have drinking water that meets public health standards is our primary concern," DEQ Director Heidi Grether told The Associated Press in a phone interview. The agreement negotiated by Weaver "is the only option that will be protective of public health in Flint, ensure the future financial violability of Flint's water fund, and promote investment in Flint's water distribution system," the suit says. A previous money-saving decision to join the Karegnondi Water Authority in 2013 set the stage for the disaster when state-appointed financial managers controlling Flint in 2014 decided to temporarily tap the Flint River while the regional pipeline to Lake Huron was being built. The savings could be used as part of a $177 million update of the city's aging and deteriorating distribution system, including fixing leaky water mains and replacing lead service lines.