The One US City That’s Nearly Out Of Water
A water crisis has taken one United States city by storm. Residents of Jackson, Mississippi are nearly out of water.
The water system in Jackson, Mississippi is failing – making the precious liquid across the city entirely unsafe to drink. Now, due to recent bouts of torrential rain coupled with years of system issues, the state’s capital doesn’t have enough water to fight fires, flush toilets, or even hand out to needy residents. As a result of the water crisis, a state of emergency has been declared, with schools, restaurants, and businesses forced to temporarily close. The area had already been under a boil-water notice for the past month.
Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis began earlier this week when City hall confirmed that river water had entered the OB Curtis Water Plant which treats more than 50 million gallons per day. According to CNN, the National Guard was called to help distribute bottled water as work crews try to get the treatment plant back online. Sadly, the distribution also proved unsustainable as residents of all ages waited in lines more than a mile long at Hawkins Field Airport for at least two hours.
The event, which offered each Jackson, Mississippi family a case of bottled water, was supposed to span three hours in total. But, due to a supply shortage, it barely lasted two as people were eventually turned away when the 700 cases of water ran out. “I keep saying we’re going to be the next Michigan, 86-year-old Jeraldine Watts told the publication. The disheartened resident was referring to the 2014 water crisis in Flint, which saw lead-contaminated water fed into residents’ faucets. The issue remains unresolved.
Addressing the water crisis, Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the very fragile city-run plant would not turn off its water supply. But officials needed time to treat the water. He also blamed the system’s failure on staffing shortages and a set of accumulated problems based on deferred maintenance that has not taken place over decades. “It was not a matter of if our system would fail, but a matter of when,” he said via BBC News. He added that the city, along with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, is working on more water distribution events.
In stark contrast to his counterpart, Governor Tate Reeves told a media briefing that Jackson, Mississippi would be without reliable running water at scale indefinitely. He cited the plant’s failed main motors and the backup pumps as the reason. Interestingly, local media says that Governor Reeves (a Republican) and Mayor Lumumba (a Democrat) are at odds over the response. The latter rejected a claim by the former that people are receiving raw water from the reservoir through their pipes. Lumumba insists that no raw, untreated water went out.
Meanwhile, officials have boosted production at a second Jackson, Mississippi treatment facility from 20 to 30 million gallons per day. But water pressure has dropped system-wide. Following the water crisis, all public schools switched to virtual learning, while businesses and restaurants reported needing to purchase ice and water jugs. According to Reuters, The White House is closely monitoring the water crisis and has been in regular contact with Mayor Lumumba.
