By Emily Wagster Pettus and Michael Goldberg, Associated Press
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.
“They are making it impossible for us to do business in Jackson, Mississippi,” restaurant owner Derek Emerson told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Emerson and his wife, Jennifer, own the upscale Walker’s Drive-In. He said they have been spending $300 a day for bottled water in the past month.
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. He said the state will try to help resolve problems by hiring contractors to work at the treatment plant.
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 water is not safe to drink, and I’d even say it’s not safe to brush your teeth with,” the state health officer, Dr. Dan Edney, said Monday.
Some restaurants closed. Jackson State University brought in temporary restrooms for students.
President Joe Biden has been briefed about Jackson’s flooding and water problems, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday on Twitter.
“FEMA is working closely with the state officials to identify needs, and the EPA is coordinating with industry partners to expedite delivery of critical treatment equipment for emergency repairs at the City of Jackson water treatment facilities,” she said.
Reeves said the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will start distributing both drinking water and non-potable water, and the National Guard will be called in to help. The governor said he understands people’s frustrations.
The problems at the water treatment plant came after the city appeared to largely avoid widespread flooding from a Pearl River swollen by days of heavy rain. One home was flooded Monday but Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the water did not rise as high as expected. Earlier projections showed about 100 to 150 buildings in the Jackson area faced the possibility of flooding.
The National Weather Service said the Pearl River crested Monday at about 35.4 feet (10.8 meters). That is short of the major flood stage level of 36 feet (10.97 meters). Parts of Jackson flooded in 2020 after the river rose above 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.
Lumumba — a Democrat who was not invited to the Republican governor’s news conference — said flooding has created additional problems at the treatment plant, and low water pressure could last a few days.
“What I liken it to is if you were drinking out of a Styrofoam cup, someone puts a hole in the bottom of it, you’re steady trying to fill it while it’s steady running out at the bottom,” Lumumba said.
Jackson has longstanding problems with its water system. A cold snap in 2021 left a significant number of people without running water after pipes froze. Similar problems happened again early this year, on a smaller scale.
The mayor said last week that fixing Jackson’s water system could cost $200 million. That is more than two times the $75 million the whole state is receiving to address water problems as part of the recent bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Legislative leaders reacted with alarm to Jackson’s latest water system problems.
“We have grave concerns for citizens’ health and safety,” Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said in a statement Monday, suggesting the state take a role in trying to solve the issue.
The Republican House speaker, Philip Gunn, said he has been contacted by hospitals, businesses and schools “pleading that something be done to address the water crisis in Jackson.”
