Jackson Mayor Lumumba on state's help in addressing water crisis: 'We are grateful for the assistance'

Jackson officials said Tuesday they enthusiastically welcome Monday’s emergency declaration by Gov. Tate Reeves providing state resources to address the city’s water crisis.

“I want to state emphatically we are grateful for the assistance,” Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said during Tuesday afternoon press conference.

Lumumba described his meeting Monday with officials from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the state Department of Health as “very productive” and said, “I firmly believe the residents of Jackson are worthy of this support.”

Reeves on Monday said the state would be installing an “Incident Command Center” at the city’s O. B. Curtis water treatment plant to immediately begin maintenance and improvements. The announcement follows four weeks of a state-mandated boil-water notice for the city as well as intermittent low-water pressure in some areas.

City Council President Ashby Foote of Ward 1 echoed Lumumba’s support.

“We need a functioning water system and this is a step in the right direction,” Foote said.

He noted that operating a large scale water-treatment plant is very complex and requires skilled personnel. The biggest reason for low-water pressure has been insufficient water production, leaving many of the city’s large water towers dry. The towers would normally keep the pressure sufficient during down times at the treatment plant, Foote said. 

Lumumba’s Chief of Staff Dr. Safiya Omari told council members that despite some dire predictions of continued low pressure following the weekend flooding, “the system has been recovering quite well.”

On Tuesday the water pressure was at 78 pounds with a target of 87, but because the pressure dropped below 65 during the flood the boil-water notice would likely continue for the immediate future.

Addressing a question from Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who said there appeared to be conflicting information from different agencies over who would run the facility, Omari said, “the plant is stull under the city’s authority.”

Mayor Lumumba did take issue over one statement by Reeves Monday claiming “there have been too many cases of raw water from the reservoir being pushed through those pipes.” 

“The city has not distributed any raw untreated water,” Lumumba insisted. Still he encouraged residents to “continue to abide by the boil water notice” until it is lifted.

Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee said she is grateful the state has decided to step in.

“The ongoing water crisis affects everybody,” she said, adding that crime and water are the two main concerns people have about Jackson right now. “We have to get these two issues resolved. We do not want to see a mass exodus of our citizens and businesses,” Lee said. 

Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley said he was grateful but not surprised to see the state take action.

“Everyone is aware that we have a problem and we need to do everything possible to supply the city’s water needs,” Hartley said.

Now it will be important for the city to follow the laws and mandates set forth by MEMA, the Department of Health, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Hartley said.

Foote said the need ultimately is to make the whole system sustainable long term. “The key is preventative maintenance — not just band-aids,” he said. “We are glad to have the expertise of the state and look forward to getting the plant fixed.”

Later in the day Reeves held a press conference at the O.B. Curtis Water Plant and said things were no better and no worse than they were yesterday.

Reeves filed a state of emergency for the state on Monday and he said he has spoken with the Lumumba who has also filed a state of emergency for the city, as has the Mississippi State Department of Health.

Reeves said he has sent the emergency declarations to the federal government, asking the president and FEMA to declare Jackson's water crisis a federal emergency and he hopes to speak with the leader of FEMA soon.

“We do have a plan in place to potentially bring in an additional rented pump (to the O.B. Curtis facility), which will allow us to pump at least 4 million gallons of water,” Reeves said. The governor said he hoped the rented pump would be installed by Wednesday morning.

Stephen McRaney, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said Mississippi National Guard troops were mobilized Tuesday and he met with them Tuesday morning.

“Their teams are out on the ground assessing all of the sites that they're going to be running throughout the city,” McRaney said, adding the guardsmen will be able to help augment the city’s water distribution system. “We have 10 tractor trailer loads of water coming in today.”

He said the National Guard will begin distributing water at noon Thursday at seven sites that will be disclosed later after logistics are worked out.

“We're going to put out 36 truckloads of water a day … for the public to be able to come and get,” McRaney said.

He said donations had been coming and they are distributing donations to a logistical center in south Jackson.