Mississippi lifts boil water notice for Jackson residents

(JACKSON, Miss.) — Mississippi ended its boil water notice for all of Jackson’s residents on Thursday, the state’s health department announced.

The news comes nearly two weeks after water pressure returned to the state capital’s residents after days of a water shortage crisis that impacted thousands of Jacksonians.

A boil water notice was in effect in Jackson since July 29, with the city saying that it needed “two rounds of clear samples” before it could lift the notice, adding: “We will alert residents as soon as this happens.”

“On Tuesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health began officially conducting tests of the water quality. They collected 120 samples for two consecutive days,” Gov. Tate Reeves said at a press conference on Thursday. “We can now announce we have restored clean water to the city of Jackson.”

Last month, at least 180,000 people went without reliable drinking water in Jackson after pumps at the main water treatment plant failed.

Reeves declared a state of emergency on Aug. 30 to address the issue.

At Thursday’s press conference, Reeves touted Mississippi’s efforts in fixing the water issues in Jackson, including increasing how much water is produced, restoring water pressure and installing an emergency pump at the water treatment facility.

City and state officials have been helping to distribute drinkable and non-drinkable water to residents.

The state distributed nearly 12 million bottles of water, but distribution will end soon since the boil water notice has been lifted, Stephen McCraney, the executive director of the state Emergency Management Agency, said at the press conference.

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