Governor declares water emergency for Mississippi capital

[Auburn85 432]

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/29/1120016563/water-emergency-mississippi-capital

 

Quote

 

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday night that he is declaring a state of emergency after excessive rainfall exacerbated problems in one of Jackson's water-treatment plants and caused low water pressure through much of the capital city.

The low pressure raised concerns about firefighting and about people's ability to take showers or flush toilets.

Reeves said that on Tuesday, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will start distributing both drinking water and non-potable water in the city of 150,000 residents, and the National Guard will be called in to help. The governor said he understands people in Jackson don't want to have water system problems.

"I get it. I live in the city. It's not news that I want to hear," Reeves said. "But we are going to be there for you."

A swollen Pearl River flooded streets and at least one home in Jackson on Monday, days after storms dumped heavy rain, but water levels were starting to recede. 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.

"We thank the Lord most of all for sparing so many of our residents," Lumumba said Monday, hours before the governor spoke about the water system.

The National Weather Service said the Pearl River had crested at about 35.4 feet (10.8 meters). That is short of the major flood stage level of 36 feet (10.97 meters).

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 city has been under a boil-water notice since late July because tests found a cloudy quality to the water that could lead to health problems.

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."

As the Pearl River started to rise last week, some Jackson residents started moving furniture and appliances out of their homes, and others stocked up on sandbags. Two years ago, torrential rain caused the river to reach 36.7 feet (11.2 meters) and Jackson homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods were filled with dirty, snake-infested floodwaters.

 

Suzannah Thames owns a three-bedroom rental home in northeast Jackson that flooded with about 3 feet (0.9 meter) of water in 2020. Thames hired a crew to move appliances, furniture and other belongings out of the home Friday. She said Monday that the home flooded with about 3 to 4 inches inches (7.6 to 10.2 centimeters) of water late Sunday.

"I thought it was going to be a lot worse," Thames said. "I feel very fortunate. I feel very blessed."

Andre Warner, 54, said Monday that his family had put all their furniture up on cinderblocks inside their home to prepare for possible flooding in another northeast Jackson neighborhood.

Warner said the family had to leave home for two weeks during the 2020 flood. Water did not enter their house then, but electricity was off in their neighborhood because other homes were inundated.

"We had to wait for it to drain and dry out for them to cut the grid back on," Warner said.

The Mississippi flooding was less severe than flooding that caused death and destruction in Kentucky last month. Those floods left at least 39 dead and robbed thousands of families of all of their possessions. Nearly a month later, residents are wrestling with whether to rebuild at the place they call home or to start over somewhere else.

 

 

[Auburn85 432]

https://mississippitoday.org/2022/09/02/bennie-thompson-jackson-water-crisis/

 

 

Quote

 

Rep. Bennie Thompson: Treat Jackson fairly, but if it can’t run water system, let someone else

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson said the state bears some blame for neglecting Jackson for decades, but if the capital city cannot properly run its water system, “I would not be in favor of the city being given back the authority to run it.”

“Because it doesn’t make sense,” Thompson said in an exclusive interview on Friday with Mississippi Today for its “The Other Side” podcast about the continuing water crisis in Jackson. “Those negotiations (about long-term solutions) have to be fair. They have to include the owners of the system. But we want a system that meets federal and state regulations. Now if we see that Jackson can’t do it, then obviously we have to look at an alternative.”

Thompson, whose federal district covers most of Jackson, said, “I expect to be intricately involved in the negotiations.”

State leaders have been meeting privately this week to discuss long-term solutions for the capital city’s collapsing system as state and federal emergency crews distribute water to thousands of residents and make emergency repairs.

Proposals they have come up with include:

• Creating a “regional water authority” to run the system, which also serves Byram and parts of Hinds County for water and parts of Rankin and Madison counties and other areas for sewerage.
• Putting the city water system in a temporary conservatorship run by the state Public Service Commission, with the goal of passing the system back to city leaders after service has been restored.
• Creating some new state entity or commission to take full, permanent control of the city’s water system.
• Privatizing Jackson’s water system, leasing it to a private company that would manage it moving forward.

READ MORE: State leaders meet privately to discuss long-term solutions for Jackson water crisis

Thompson said he’s not going to opine on specific proposals at this point. He noted, “You can own the system and not operate it.”

But Thompson repeatedly said the city must be treated fairly in any negotiations on solutions.

“Years of neglect have contributed to what we have in Jackson,” Thompson said. “… Jackson has been treated differently than other communities. So there has to be give and take on both sides. I encourage that. But I resist with every fiber in my body for Jackson to be singled out just because it’s Jackson and being treated differently than all other communities and all water systems.”

Thompson said he has been talking with the mayor and other city leaders and repeated, “I have not seen a plan,” about a long-term fix for the water system.

“I’ve heard from the mayor and others that they have a plan, they’re working on it, but I have not physically seen a plan with my own eyes,” Thompson said. “I look forward to it. If it’s one that is verifiable, I’ll be happy to promote it. But, you know, I said a couple of weeks ago I was looking for a plan. And I say right now, I continue to look for a plan. And that speaks to management that I talked about earlier. It would be difficult to get the kind of resources needed to fix the Jackson water system without a verifiable plan.

“As soon as it’s completed, I would encourage that plan to be as widely distributed as possible because that would instill confidence in the public that something is actually being done,” Thompson said.

To hear Mississippi Today editor-in-chief Adam Ganucheau’s full interview with Thompson, listen to “The Other Side” podcast, which will air starting Monday. Thompson discussed more about the ongoing conversations he’s had with city and state leaders, and he talked about his work as chair of the House Jan. 6 Committee and the ongoing welfare scandal investigation.

 

 

[PUB78 1,356]

Jackson is one of the worst run cities in the nation along with being one of the most violent. Just like most all Democrats controlled cities.

[icanthearyou 4,462]

13 hours ago, PUB78 said:

Jackson is one of the worst run cities in the nation along with being one of the most violent. Just like most all Democrats controlled cities.

Yes, Mississippi would be much better under Kristian Konservative Kontrol.

[Auburn85 432]

https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/mississippi-residents-file-class-action-lawsuit-over-thousands-affected-by-the-jackson-water-crisis/

 

 

Quote

 

Mississippi Residents File Class Action Lawsuit Over Thousands Affected by the Jackson Water Crisis

Even before the onset of the crisis in late August, the water supply of Jackson, Mississippi, was “not fit for human consumption,” four residents say in a class action lawsuit against the city, its current and former mayor, officials and contractors.

“Access to clean, poison-free water is a fundamental human right,” the first line of the 100-page federal complaint declares.

Filed on behalf of the city’s more than 153,000 residents, the lawsuit blames the lead and contaminants in Jackson’s drinking on “decades” of neglect by officials and corporations. Their attorney Robert Gibbs, a partner at the firm Gibbs Travis, says the lawsuit aims to change that.

“We are striving to secure clean, safe water for the Jackson community – a community that has been suffering with contaminated water for years,” Gibbs said in a statement. “This is a righteous fight, and one we intend to win.”

The defendants are the city of Jackson, its current mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba; former mayor Tony Yarber; former public works directors Kishia Powell, Robert Miller, and Jerriot Smash; and contractors Siemens Corporation; Siemens Industry, Inc.; and Trilogy Engineering Services LLC.

As the lawsuit notes, Jackson’s population is 82.5 percent Black, and more than 24 percent of the people there live in poverty. The complete shutdown of the water supply last months left residents without running water.

“These residents lack more than just drinking water, or water for making powdered baby formula, cooking, showering, or laundry,” the complaint states. “During the long period where the city pipes had no water pressure—and were unable to facilitate the flow of water—residents of Jackson could not flush their toilets for days at a time.”

But according to lawsuit, the water supply that existed before the crisis had such poor quality as to violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule, and other statutes.

“Children, comprising a quarter of Jackson’s residents, are especially susceptible to the devastating and life-long damages of lead poisoning,” the complaint states. “This public health crisis, decades in the making, was wholly foreseeable by Defendants’ actions and has left Jackson residents in an untenable position – without access to clean, safe water in 2022 in a major United States city.”

“Several of Her Children Have Been Diagnosed with Lead Poisoning”

The four named residents in the lawsuit report being sickened by longtime exposure to dirty water.

Lead plaintiff Priscilla Sterling, a school teacher and grandmother who has lived in Jackson for 30 years, says she and her family are “exhibiting effects of lead-poisoning or other water contamination.”

“Several of her children have been diagnosed with lead poisoning,” the complaint states. “She suffers from headaches. Her 24-year old daughter has a learning disability and reoccurring yeast infections. The entire household has experienced frequent episodes of unexplained itching. They attempted to have their water tested for lead and other contaminants but have not been able to obtain assistance in setting up a test.”

Raine Becker, a single mother working three jobs, has a terminally ill 7-year-old son.

“We’re suffering because of the lack of leadership and planning by government officials and others,” Becker said in a a statement. Access to clean water is a basic human right, and government officials must be held accountable for their misconduct. The purpose of the lawsuit is to force them to fix the water mess, care for our community that has been put in danger, and put the right systems in place so that this never happens again.”

Shawn Miller, an engineer and student at Jackson State University, lives in the city with his wife and two minor children.

“Plaintiff and his family are exhibiting effects of lead-poisoning or other water contamination,” the complaint states. “Mr. Miller has suffered from headaches since August 2022.”

John Bennett, a self-employed yard worker, also reported that he and household are “exhibiting effects of lead-poisoning or other water contamination.”

The lawsuit alleges six causes of action, including 14th Amendment violations against the city and its officials and negligence claims against the contractors. More than half a decade since the Flint, Michigan, water crisis gripped national headlines, that litigation still rages — with a federal judge declaring a mistrial last month after a jury deadlocked in a trial against contractors.

The city declined to comment.

 

 

[icanthearyou 4,462]

Could be easily fixed by giving more money to Brett Favre.

[Auburn85 432]

https://www.wapt.com/article/investigation-launched-into-governors-distribution-of-federal-funds-for-jackson-water/41653641

 

 

Quote

 

Investigation launched into governor's distribution of federal funds for Jackson water

Thompson, Maloney send letter asking Reeves to take action to 'fix this life and death issue'

JACKSON, Miss. —

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson is asking Gov. Tate Reeves how Mississippi plans to distribute federal funding for water system repairs in the city of Jackson.

Thompson, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent a letter Monday to Mississippi's governor asking him how the state plans to distribute more than $10 billion in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes $429 million allotted to enhance water infrastructure.

"We urge you to take action to protect the health and safety of Jackson residents and direct funding to Jackson immediately to fix this life and death issue," Thompson and Maloney wrote. "This funding must be sustained to ensure that a safe and dependable drinking water system endures, especially in the face of climate change that will put even more stress on the city's water infrastructure."

Reeves said in a statement Monday that Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba was "planning to functionally end the city's cooperation" with the Unified Command Structure, which is made up of local, state and federal agencies working together to respond to Jackson's water crisis.

The mayor said "the city of Jackson has made no mention" of ending its cooperation with the Unified Command Structure. But Lumumba did respond to the announcement last week that the Unified Command is beginning the process of seeking an emergency staffing contract for operations, maintenance and management of Jackson's water plants, tanks and well facilities.

Lumumba said the city will have the final say and the third-party management company will work for the city.

 

 

[Auburn85 432]

https://www.wlbt.com/2022/12/31/jackson-councilman-estimates-75-his-ward-still-without-water-more-than-week-into-latest-water-crisis/

 

 

Quote

 

Jackson councilman estimates 75% of his ward still without water, more than a week into the latest water crisis

 

By Anthony Warren

Published: Dec. 31, 2022 at 4:30 PM CST

 

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - One Jackson city councilman says most of his ward is still without water, even as the city says it’s making progress in digging out of the current water crisis.

“My family and I STILL HAVE NO WATER. In fact, almost 75% of my ward (Ward 6), including all of the apartment complexes in Byram and several communities have no water,” wrote Councilman Aaron Banks in a Saturday morning social media post.

The post comes hours after the city of Jackson announced that it had lifted the boil water notice for customers on the well water system and in the 39211 ZIP code.

It also comes after Banks took to social media to issue a “clarion call” for businesses in North Jackson to preserve or stop using water for eight hours to allow pressure in tanks to build up again in the southern part of the city.

Banks went on to say he’s frustrated that he’s been given little information about the crisis, despite the fact that his ward is usually the hardest hit during water outages.

“No one in a position of authority is communicating with me. Like most residents, I text and call whenever I see leaks as a means of sharing information to help provide a fix,” he wrote. “The frustrating part is, as a councilman, I can’t tell [my constituents] anything when they call or text because I simply DO NOT KNOW.”

“I think the flow of communication/information should be stronger, more consistent, more [frequent] and presented in a more truthful and concise way,” he added. “It’s embarrassing that as a council person I find myself not knowing what’s working.”

Tens of thousands of customers were left without water after a severe cold front ripped through the area late last week, leading to numerous water main breaks across the city.

As a result of the breaks, the water tanks were drained, and the pressure dropped. Customers started reporting outages on Christmas Eve.

The administration has posted several updates on social media since the start of the crisis and given updates at two press conferences. During those briefings, the mayor says he was unable to answer some questions, directing them to third-party water manager Ted Henifin.

Henifin was put in charge of the water system as part of a federal court order. He has been leading the city’s recovery efforts.

Banks, though, says little information has been provided to him directly. “This lack of communication makes me wonder if the real story isn’t being told. It makes me wonder, why the lack of transparency? What isn’t being told?” he wrote.

“This isn’t about a public fight with the mayor. I recognize that we sometimes stand on opposite sides of issues; this is bigger than he and I,” he wrote. “This is about the citizens of Jackson, especially those in South Jackson who have been without water for seven days.”

Banks and Jackson Director of Communications Melissa Faith Payne did not respond to requests for comment.