JACKSON, miss – Organizations in Jackson, Mississippi, are asking for help from other states as the water crisis depletes resources.
It’s been over five months since the Pearl River peaked and Jackson, Mississippi’s water system failed. Now crews are working to replace the pipe system, but families and businesses are prepared to go without water periodically, for up to 10 years.
Cities across the country are replacing fragile water pipe systems. In addition to Jackson, there are Flint, Michigan, Baltimore, Maryland, and Houston, Texas.
Systems are replaced section by section after a failure. But, these years-long projects can cause breaks in water mains.
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Operation Good continues to help residents during the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.
(Joy Addison/Fox News)
Kenneth Wayne Jones serves as the Hinds County Administrator, which includes Jackson. He said his water crisis has been brewing for decades and it will get worse before things get better.
“Every move you make to try to alleviate this problem shifts the pressure in another direction. And, when you get to an address, there are old pipes, or the main pipe breaks. And, when the main pipe starts to rupture, it changes the pressure everywhere. It is especially difficult for our businesses,” Jones said.
Jones said Jackson’s longstanding water problem has caused years of economic decline.
Jackson has seen more than 10% of its residents leave in the last decade.
The water crisis has driven businesses and families out of Jackson.
(Joy Addison/Fox News)
Our research shows that more than 6,000 of nearly 9,000 businesses have left town in that same time period.
Fredick Womack directs Operation Good. He said that as national attention has shifted to other cities or issues, local organizations are feeling the pinch and aren’t sure if their resources can withstand another five to 10 years of water shutoffs.
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Operation Good delivers water to Jackson residents.
(Fox News/Joy Addison)
“People rely heavily on organizations like ours, Operation Good, to provide them with water and necessities, because when the water goes out, people can’t even shower, bathe or use the toilets,” Womack said. .
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The people of Jackson are asking for more help from other states.
“Send clean water. Keep sending clean water. You can send it to the city or to the county. There are so many areas where we need those resources for these people. It’s an ongoing process,” Jones said.
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More cities likely need help, too, because the American Society of Civil Engineers rates the United States a “C-” overall for drinking water systems, saying many need to be fixed or replaced. This could mean seeing increased pressure on resources across the country.
