Read the passage about a problem one community faced. In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, was low on funds. To cut costs, local government leaders decided to stop getting treated water from Detroit’s water supply system. Instead, the city pumped water from the polluted Flint River using old lead pipes. The city did not test or treat the water sufficiently. This resulted in dirty, foul-tasting water that presented a major health risk.

The city’s citizens, the majority of whom were African American, complained to the city government. However, their complaints were ignored. City and state officials continued to downplay the seriousness of the situation. Finally, citizens and activists banded together to sue city and state officials in an effort to fix the problem. The court sided with the citizens. Over time, the situation began to improve, and now Flint residents have safe water.
Which statement correctly explains how this problem was addressed?

Citizens proposed and voted on an initiative to bypass the local legislature and address the issue.
Citizens turned to one branch of local government to solve a problem created by another government branch.
The state government stepped in to solve a problem that the local government did not have the authority to address.
The local government requested the power to create a new regulation to solve the issue from the state government.