Jackson, Mississippi has 'no water to drink or flush toilets

[tennisluvrredux]

Anyone here from Jackson, MS?

Some 180,000 residents in Jackson, Mississippi have "indefinitely" lost access to reliable running water after excessive rainfall and flooding.

Rising floodwaters over the weekend breached the city's main water treatment facility, bringing it to the brink of collapse.

A state of emergency has been declared, and schools, restaurants and businesses have temporarily closed.

The city had already been under a boil-water notice for a month.

Problems at the OB Curtis Water Plant began after heavy rains caused the Pearl River to crest and spill over onto city streets over the weekend.

City hall confirmed on Monday that river water had entered the facility, which treats more than 50 million US gallons (190 million litres) per day.

 

Both the city and state are distributing bottled drinking water to residents as well as non-potable water for toilets via tanker truck, with Mississippi's National Guard assisting relief efforts.

On Tuesday afternoon Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the "very fragile" city-run plant would not turn off its water supply but officials needed time to treat the water.

He blamed the system's failure on staffing shortages and "a set of accumulated problems based on deferred maintenance that has not taken place over decades".

"It was not a matter of if our system would fail, but a matter of when," he said.

The White House said it was "closely monitoring" the crisis and has been "in regular contact" with Mr Lumumba.

Governor Tate Reeves said during an emergency briefing Monday night that the city would be without "reliable running water at scale" indefinitely as the plant's main motors and the backup pumps too had failed.

 

"It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets, and to meet other critical needs," said Mr Reeves.

Local media reports that Governor Reeves, a Republican, and Mayor Lumumba, a Democrat, are at odds over the response.

The latter rejected a claim by the former that Jackson homes are receiving "raw water from the reservoir" through their pipes, saying "there was no raw, untreated water that went out" on Monday.

Officials have boosted production at a second treatment facility from 20 to 30 million US gallons per day, but water pressure has dropped system-wide.

All public schools in Jackson shifted to virtual learning on Tuesday amid the crisis, while businesses and restaurants reported needing to purchase ice and water jugs.

The southern state's capital is more than 80% African American.

 

Experts say climate change is driving more extreme weather events like the rainfall in Jackson.

The heavy rains this August have forced evacuations, inundated homes and washed away roads.

[tennisluvrredux]

This problem has been in the making for years, if not decades. Pattinchukune naathude ledu

[Variety_Pullayya]

water ekkuvayyii ala ayyinda...inka draught ankunna. 

[tennisluvrredux]

Just now, Variety_Pullayya said:

water ekkuvayyii ala ayyinda...inka draught ankunna. 

 Basically the sewage system water got mixed into the drinking water facility, been happening since years. Due to lack of staff and negligence, they let the problem fester and now it got too big

[ramudu]

Mississippi is one of the worst state to live in USA , this is based on my personal experience visiting  family / friends there 

[tennisluvrredux]

3 minutes ago, ramudu said:

Mississippi is one of the worst state to live in USA , this is based on my personal experience visiting  family / friends there 

Yes along with Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama it regularly tops the list of states highest for diabetes, obesity, gum diseases, teen pregnancies etc. 

Mostly neglected due to them being formerly part of the slave trade states, and majority African American population