Aid comes to Mississippi as it enters fourth day without water

• Recent flooding has led to the failure of the water treatment plant in Jackson, Mississippi.
• The crisis affected about 180,000 people, with residents going without reliable drinking water for four days now.
• Several emergency distribution sites opened up to provide bottled water and tanker trucks to locals.

Residents of Jackson, Mississippi, lined up at grocery stores and distribution sites after the failure of the city’s long-troubled treatment plant left them with no reliable drinking water for four days now.

The O.B. Curtis Water Plant was knocked offline on Monday night due to complications caused by recent flooding. Crews raced to install a temporary pump while repairing and modifying existing equipment.

According to a statement from city officials, there have been “significant gains” made in the repairs of the plant. In some areas, limited water pressure has returned. The statement read, “There are some challenges remaining to navigate over the next few days, but the outlook for today is currently continued progress.”

On Thursday, seven new distribution sites opened in the state capital.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves addressed constituents during a news conference, “To everyone in the city, I know that you are dealing with a profoundly unfair situation. It’s frustrating. It’s wrong. It needs to be fixed.”

The governor said that 600 members of the National Guard are set to be deployed to the new water distribution sites throughout the city and surrounding area.

The current affairs at Jackson have been halted by the crisis that has affected 180,000 people. Several restaurants and establishments were forced to close down. Many schools, including Jackson State University, had to switch back to online classes.

Resident Denika Samuel shared how she had to constantly remind her six kids to avoid brushing their teeth and washing their faces with the current water supply. With the kids at home for remote schooling, she said she has to “do whatever it takes for us to survive during this water crisis.”

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s administration approved an emergency declaration to free up federal assistance. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were also dispatched to Jackson to assist. The White House added that it has also supported legislation that made available millions of federal dollars that can be used for state and city water projects.

On Thursday, Biden told reporters at the White House that the administration has “offered every single thing available to Mississippi.” He said, “The governor has to act. There’s money to deal with this problem. We’ve given them EPA. We’ve given them everything there is to offer.”

Source: Reuters