Jaden Smith visits Flint for launch of The Water Box

FLINT, Mich. – Rapper and actor Jaden Smith unveils a portable water filtration system in Flint.

“I’m really excited. Love Flint!” he said. “I’m so excited for the water bottles.”

Smith returned to the city with his mother Jada Pinkett Smith, who spoke briefly after a program at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.

Flint Mayor Karen Wear said the Smiths have been committed to the Vehicle City since the declaration of the State of Emergency.

“I remember when I met Jada Pinkett Smith and she said, ‘We are not going to forget about Flint.’ That was right after we declared the emergency,” said Weaver. “And they haven’t.”

The launch of The Water Box was held at First Trinity, which has been working on the project with several organizations, including The Last Kilometer, Rethink H2O, Black Millennials for Flint and 501CTHREE.

Drew FitzGerald, who is a member of 501CTHREE with Jaden Smith, said they wanted to partner with First Trinity. They were motivated by the church's water distribution efforts and because of a drop in bottled water donations.

“So, we said, ‘That’s what we want to do. We want to create a system that can create purified water, and that can replace those bottled waters and that can work at a much faster rate,’” said FitzGerald.

Rev. Ezra Tillman, pastor of First Trinity, said the partnership was an answer to prayers.

“This particular water solution now opens a whole other level of us trying to reach the community, because now we don’t have an excuse to turn people away."

The Water Box goes through four stages of filtration to reduce potential contaminants like metals and bacteria, according to Jaron Rothkop, president of The Last Kilometer, a nonprofit which was behind the design and research for the system.

“Instead of the first thing they think of is how do we get truckloads of water donated that we can hand out,” he said. “That may be a temporary measure, but they think: how do we get a Water Box and solve the problem ourselves and test the water ourselves.”

Weaver agreed.

“We’re looking at sustainable answers and we’re looking at technology and how we can make things better.”

Pinkett Smith announced to the crowd that she will donate money for another system to be built. When that might happen was not immediately known.

FitzGerald and Smith added that 501CTHREE would cover any expenses that the church incurs due to water distribution, including utility and maintenance costs.

First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church will dispense water from The Water Box on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. People are asked to can bring their own clean jugs.