Jackson Mayor Details Water Issues as Mississippi Grapples With Crisis

Mississippi's capital city is grappling with multiple water problems — too much on the ground after heavy rainfall in the past week, and not enough safe water coming through the pipes for people to use.

Parts of Jackson were without running water Tuesday because flooding exacerbated longstanding problems in one of two water-treatment plants. The city of 150,000 had already been under a boil-water notice for a month because the Health Department found cloudy water that could cause digestive problems.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said late Monday that he's declaring a state of emergency for Jackson's water system, and he issued the proclamation Tuesday. The state will try to help resolve problems by hiring contractors to work at the treatment plant, which was operating at diminished capacity with backup pumps after the main pumps failed "some time ago," Reeves said.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said Jackson's water system is troubled by short staffing and "decades of deferred maintenance." He said the influx of water from torrential rain changed the chemical composition needed for treatment, which slowed the process of pushing water out to customers.

Lumumba is Democrat and was not invited to the Republican governor's Monday night news conference. Although the two politicians are often at odds, Lumumba said Tuesday that he's having productive discussions with the Health Department and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and he's grateful for the state's help.

Like many cities, Jackson faces water system problems it can't afford to fix. Its tax base has eroded the past few decades as the population decreased — the result of mostly white flight to suburbs that began after public schools integrated in 1970. The city's population is now more than 80% Black, with about 25% of its residents living in poverty.

Low water pressure left some people unable to take showers or flush toilets and officials said the low pressure caused concern for firefighting. Those who did have water flowing from the tap were told to boil it to kill bacteria that could make them sick.

The National Weather Service said the Pearl River crested Monday short of the major flood stage level of 36 feet (10.97 meters). Parts of Jackson flooded in 2020 after the river topped that level.

Jackson has two water-treatment plants, and the larger one is near a reservoir that provides most of the city's water supply. The reservoir also has a role in flood control.

The mayor said Monday that low water pressure could last a few days, but by Tuesday he said some customers were regaining service.

"We have seen steady improvements in the system," Lumumba said.

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