Nevertheless, throughout a current press convention, Ted Henifin, Jackson’s interim water supervisor, claimed that the discover will not be lifted till Jan. 15. Town official prompt that members of the state division carried out false constructive checks on Jackson and Flowood’s water techniques as they “refused to validate the lab checks” earlier than mandating the boil water discover. He additionally expressed doubt about the potential for simultaneous contamination in samples from Jackson and Flowood as a result of the water techniques of the 2 cities usually are not interconnected.
“That is tragic,” Henifin added. “That is setting us again possibly a 12 months. It’s taken every part we will do to get a couple of extra folks on this metropolis to drink faucet water and have belief in it.”
Jackson’s water system failed in 2022
In August 2022, Jackson introduced that the town’s water system was failing. 1000’s have been left with out ample water provide in consequence. Jackson has a inhabitants of over 149,000 and almost 85.5 p.c of residents are Black. As beforehand reported, O.B. Curtis is the biggest water remedy plant within the metropolis. Throughout a press convention, Gov. Tate Reeves cautioned that the plant could be quickly shut down till officers might determine the reason for the malfunction.
In accordance with Reeves, the important water pumps at O.B. Curtis have been “broken severely” when the town issued its first boil water discover on Jul. 29, 2022. On the time, the governor didn’t reveal the supply of the injury. Officers stated the town was counting on small backup pumps till the system utterly went offline.
Residents of Jackson are reportedly being hit with costly water payments as metropolis officers try work to repair the town’s troubled water system. In an interview with WLBT3 in December, one resident claimed they’d seen their water invoice bounce from “$16 to $342.”
A TikTok consumer named @AlCole494 primarily based in Jackson posted a video to the platform Dec. 7 that captured brown water flowing from his bathtub faucet.
“That is what’s occurring right here now they usually need you to pay a invoice of $6 to $700? No one ought to need to pay a invoice when their water seems like this. That is so tousled!”
