The residents of Jackson, MI, officially have running water, but it is still undrinkable. Residents report coffee-colored water coming out of their faucets. The boil advisory is still in place like it has been intermittently for years. Over 160,000 residents were affected when floods overwhelmed the city’s neglected main water treatment plant. Despite emergency efforts to restore water to Jackson, many questions will be enough. Some of the city’s pipes are about a century old, and there are ongoing lawsuits from Jackson residents who say its old lead pipes poisoned them and stunted their growth as children.
“This water system broke over several years, and it would be inaccurate to claim it is solved in less than a week.” Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said in an update earlier this week. “There may be more bad days in the future. We have, however, reached a place where people in Jackson can trust that water will come out of the faucet, toilets can be flushed, and fires can be put out.”
Public schools opened on Friday after spending a week at home. Water quality testing is still in the early stages. Two days of successful testing at numerous sites across the city are needed for health officials to declare Jackson’s water safe to drink.
What We Need To Know About the Water Crisis In Jackson
Earlier this month, the residents of Jackson, MI, lost access to safe drinking water. Unfortunately, the water system in Jackson had been failing for years, and in 2021, a harsh winter storm knocked the water system out for a month. Even when the water is running, residents have periodical boil-water advisories and extreme water bills for water that isn’t safe for consumption. However, due to severe floods, the treatment plant failed utterly. Thus, leaving residents without safe water to drink, bathe, or flush toilets.
Gov. Tate Reeves declared the ongoing water crisis an “immediate health threat.” Health experts said the crisis was years in the making due to inadequate funding for essential infrastructure upgrades. Previously, predominantly Black leaders have pushed for additional funding, but with little luck. State Officials announced that tractor-trailers filled with water bottles were on their way to Jackson. In addition, Reeves deployed 600 Mississippi National Guard troops to seven water distribution sites. Lastly, the governor hoped for at least one of the water pumps to be fixed soon.
