Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Tuesday in response to a water crisis plaguing the state’s capital city.
On Monday, Reeves revealed that the city of Jackson is on track to run out of drinking water due to damage incurred at one of the city’s water treatment pumps. Coinciding with his declaration, Reeves ordered the creation of an “incident command center,” activated the National Guard to assist in the crisis, and directed the government to surge resources at the facility.
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“The state is marshaling tremendous resources to protect the people of our capital city,” Reeves proclaimed in a press release. “It will take time for that to come to fruition. But we are here in times of crisis, for anyone in the state who needs it. That’s my responsibility as governor, and it is what everyone in my administration is committed to ensuring.”
Excessive flooding from Pearl River that came from heavy rainfall over recent days dealt damage to the city’s water processing facility, the governor explained Monday before warning that the plant could soon not be “operating at all.” Due to the water crisis, Jackson Public Schools switched to virtual learning Tuesday, according to the school district.
The water shortage is likely to last the next couple of days. Contrary to some reports, the City is NOT cutting off water to residents. The City remains in contact with the state Department of Health and the EPA over continued issues with the system.
— City of Jackson Mississippi (@CityOfJxnMS) August 29, 2022
As officials scramble to get the plant running at full capacity again, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will distribute bottled water, according to the governor. A timeline for when the city’s water processing facility will be repaired has not been given.
“Replacing our largest city’s infrastructure of running water with human distribution is a massively complicated logistical task,” Reeves said, per NBC.
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Residents are expected to face low water pressure that could hinder the ability of residents to flush toilets and “meet other critical needs,” the governor’s office said. Mississippi has taken steps to organize for fire safety and is working on sanitation preparation, the governor’s office added.
Jackson has a population of about 150,000 residents, about 83% of whom are black.
