Jackson residents should have water pressure again amid shortage crisis

(JACKSON, Miss.) — Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, should have water pressure again, officials announced Sunday evening, following nearly a week of no reliable running water for thousands of residents.

Water tanks at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant saw “increased storage levels” overnight, with many of the tanks “approaching full,” the city said in a news release.

“We no longer have any tanks at low levels. All of Jackson should now have pressure and most are now experiencing normal pressure,” the city said.

The city’s boil water notice, which began July 29, is still in effect. The city said it needs “two rounds of clear samples” before it can lift the notice, adding: “We will alert residents as soon as this happens.”

At least 180,000 people went without reliable drinking water in Jackson after pumps at the main water treatment plant failed last week. A major pump at O.B. Curtis was damaged, forcing the city to use backup pumps until it was fixed, Gov. Tate Reeves said during a news conference last week.

Staffing shortages, system issues and multiple equipment failures have led to the water crisis, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at a press conference on Tuesday.

While water pressure has returned, maintenance is still being undertaken at the plant, which could see a fluctuation of water pressure levels, the city said.

City and state officials have distributed drinkable and non-drinkable water to residents since last week.

Reeves declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and activated the state’s National Guard to help officials deal with the ongoing water emergency.

The city has a history of water-related issues that have impacted residents.

In February 2021, freezing temperatures caused water and power outages in Jackson.

Lumumba told ABC News Live Prime on Tuesday that Jackson needs a sustainable and equitable system.

“We suffer in the southern portion of our city most disproportionately,” he said. “Some of the most impoverished parts of our city are feeling the brunt of this challenge more consistently and worse off than the rest of our city.”

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