Residents is Mississippi’s capital city, Jackson, are being encouraged to boil their water before using it.
Due to rain and floods, the Pearl River reached unsafe levels on Monday, leaving the Mississippi’s capital and most populous city without a dependable water supply, according to officials.
In response to the failing water system in Jackson, Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves issued a statement declaring a State of Emergency and has activated the National Guard to assist in the ongoing water system failure.
Jackson residents have been boiling water since July due to water safety issues.
The recent flooding of the Pearl River created issues with water treatment at the O.B. Curtis Water Plant.
“The city cannot produce enough water to reliably flush toilets, fight fires, and meet other critical needs,” said Gov. Reeves.
While the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is leading the distribution efforts of safe drinking water and non-drinking water, the governor's focus is on fire safety.
“We have immediately organized water for fire safety, which was our first priority. We are also organizing the resources to provide water for sanitation and life safety,” said Gov. Reeves.
According to his statement the state is doing everything it can to get water pressure back to the residents of Jackson. They are increasing resources available to the city’s water treatment plan and initiating emergency maintenance, repairs, and improvements to the facility. They also have created an incident command structure, and the mobile incident command center will be running this morning.
As for how the emergency improvements will be paid for, the governor said that the city has agreed to pay for half the costs. He also made it clear that the workers they have reached out to and that have been working through the crisis will get paid.
This is the second state of emergency declared in Mississippi in the past three days. On Aug. 27, Gov. Reeves, via Facebook, declared a State of Emergency in preparation for the flooding of Pearl River.
“Today I declared a State of Emergency for areas that have been or may be affected by the recent flooding. This will allow our state agencies to better assist in our response efforts and carry out their emergency responsibilities,” said Gov. Reeves.
According to a statement released by the city on Monday, the flooding of Pearl River only created more problems at the water treatment plant.
“Adjustments to the water treatment process are being made and has led to a temporary decrease in the production of water for some areas. This will remain an issue for the next couple days as we work to refill the tanks,” said the city.
Following the flood and the continued water crisis on Monday, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba declared a water system emergency due to the lack of water pressure. He made it clear that though the water pressure is low, that the city will not be cutting water off from the residents.
Due to the water crisis and the unsafe water in the faucets, the Mississippi State Department of Health recommends residents boil their water for at least one minute and only cook, drink, brush teeth, and wash dishes with boiled water.
With the current water crisis, all Jackson Public Schools, starting today, will switch over to virtual learning until school and city officials determine that it is safe for students and staff to return safely, according to a statement by the district.
The schools will continue to distribute breakfast and lunch once they have been tested for adequate water pressure for preparing meals.
