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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Only State Capital Where You Can't Drink the Water
This video was uploaded in February of this year. The following was publlshed yeaterday:
Court-appointed manager of Mississippi capital water system gets task of fixing sewage problems
BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Updated 6:43 PM GMT-2:30, July 26, 2023
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The independent manager working to fix the long-troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city will also be assigned to oversee repairs to the city’s deteriorating sewer system, under an order filed Wednesday by a federal judge.
Officials from the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the city of Jackson all agreed to give the extra duties to Ted Henifin.
Jackson has struggled with water problems for decades. The federal government intervened in the water system after many of the city’s 150,000 residents and many businesses were left without running water last August and September after heavy rains exacerbated problems at a water treatment plant. People waited in lines for water to drink, bathe, cook and flush toilets in Jackson as some businesses were temporarily forced to close for lack of safe drinking water.
Jackson also has longstanding problems with its sewer system. The city agreed to enter a consent decree in 2012 with the EPA to prevent the overflow of raw sewage and bring the city into compliance with the Clean Water Act. Reports required by the consent decree showed more than 4 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated wastewater were dumped into the Pearl River between March 2020 and February 2022.
https://apnews.com/article/jackson-mississippi-water-sewer-5a0ea5a1d2b12005c69d7a5a77ab0424
BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Updated 6:43 PM GMT-2:30, July 26, 2023
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The independent manager working to fix the long-troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city will also be assigned to oversee repairs to the city’s deteriorating sewer system, under an order filed Wednesday by a federal judge.
Officials from the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the city of Jackson all agreed to give the extra duties to Ted Henifin.
Jackson has struggled with water problems for decades. The federal government intervened in the water system after many of the city’s 150,000 residents and many businesses were left without running water last August and September after heavy rains exacerbated problems at a water treatment plant. People waited in lines for water to drink, bathe, cook and flush toilets in Jackson as some businesses were temporarily forced to close for lack of safe drinking water.
Jackson also has longstanding problems with its sewer system. The city agreed to enter a consent decree in 2012 with the EPA to prevent the overflow of raw sewage and bring the city into compliance with the Clean Water Act. Reports required by the consent decree showed more than 4 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated wastewater were dumped into the Pearl River between March 2020 and February 2022.
https://apnews.com/article/jackson-mississippi-water-sewer-5a0ea5a1d2b12005c69d7a5a77ab0424
Stupid Mississippi! Heh! That could never happen in other state capitals in this great country!
Right?
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The Only State Capital Where You Can't Drink the Water (Original Post)
Fresh Water Falling
Jul 2023
OP
Yeah, they can't drink the water but at least they ain't got no lib'tard lawmakers making 'em
3Hotdogs
Jul 2023
#3
They don't want to pay taxes for clean water. At least not for folks in other neighborhoods.
marble falls
Jul 2023
#4
Auggie
(32,889 posts)1. And why did this happen? Surprise, surprise ...
AP story from September 1, 2022
HEADLINE: Mississippi capital’s water disaster developed over decades
The scenes testify to the near collapse of a water system that residents could not trust even in the best of times. The failure to provide such an essential service reflects decades of government dysfunction, population change and decaying infrastructure. It has also fueled a political battle in which largely white GOP state lawmakers have shown little interest in helping a mostly Black city run by Democrats.
SNIP
In the past half-century, the racial composition of Jackson has also changed. Once majority white, it is now more than 80% Black. The suburbs encircling Jackson are generally whiter and more prosperous and have newer infrastructure.
SNIP
At the same time, Mississippi is slashing taxes. This year, Reeves signed the state’s largest-ever tax cut, which will reduce revenue by an estimated $185 million the first year and $525 million the final year.
The governor argued that cutting the income tax would “lead to more wealth for all Mississippians,” even as one of the poorest states in the nation struggles to support schools and rural hospitals.
LINK: https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-jackson-4feba8f9a550bbaaefb343ae20881b9f
HEADLINE: Mississippi capital’s water disaster developed over decades
The scenes testify to the near collapse of a water system that residents could not trust even in the best of times. The failure to provide such an essential service reflects decades of government dysfunction, population change and decaying infrastructure. It has also fueled a political battle in which largely white GOP state lawmakers have shown little interest in helping a mostly Black city run by Democrats.
SNIP
In the past half-century, the racial composition of Jackson has also changed. Once majority white, it is now more than 80% Black. The suburbs encircling Jackson are generally whiter and more prosperous and have newer infrastructure.
SNIP
At the same time, Mississippi is slashing taxes. This year, Reeves signed the state’s largest-ever tax cut, which will reduce revenue by an estimated $185 million the first year and $525 million the final year.
The governor argued that cutting the income tax would “lead to more wealth for all Mississippians,” even as one of the poorest states in the nation struggles to support schools and rural hospitals.
LINK: https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-jackson-4feba8f9a550bbaaefb343ae20881b9f
jaxexpat
(7,794 posts)2. Infrastructure ain't all roads and bridges.
Prepare yourself for all the streets and medians to be orange barrel infested for about 25 years. Considering the quality of US worker for such really hard work, we better be paying immigrants to cross the RioGrande.
3Hotdogs
(15,046 posts)3. Yeah, they can't drink the water but at least they ain't got no lib'tard lawmakers making 'em
waste money on environmental bullshit.
marble falls
(71,106 posts)4. They don't want to pay taxes for clean water. At least not for folks in other neighborhoods.
IronLionZion
(50,838 posts)5. Plenty of people assume there is safe drinking water everywhere in the US
but they are sadly mistaken. This should be a pretty basic important necessity in the US.
appleannie1
(5,413 posts)6. Pittsburgh isn't a capital city but they started replacing the entire area's water pipes when Flint
was in the news. They are about 2/3 rd done. They were all corroded and rusty and lead was leaching into the water as well. So to answer your question, it can and does happen in cities all over the country.