The White House is appointing a Health and Human Services Department official to lead federal efforts to help the city of Flint, Michigan, deal with its water crisis.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says he anticipates that President Barack Obama will meet with the city's mayor on Tuesday.
Mayor Karen Weaver had already visited with the president's senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, earlier in the day.
Mayor Weaver joined Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on a conference call Tuesday. She says Obama "needs to hear first-hand what's going on in Flint."
Corrosive water from the Flint River has caused lead to leach from old pipes into homes. A state-appointed emergency manager approved the switch from Detroit's water system to save money in 2014. But tests later showed high levels of lead in the blood of some local children.
Flint has returned to Detroit water, but many residents are relying on bottled water.
Obama signed an emergency declaration Saturday that could get Flint up to $5 million in federal funds.
Earnest says state and local officials are responsible for managing the response. He says an assistant secretary at the department, Nicole Lurie, will coordinate federal help.
The crisis began in 2014 when a state-appointed emergency manager switched Flint from Detroit water to Flint River water to save money.
