Epa Determines Water In Jackson, Mississippi, Is Safe To Drink Two Months After Treatment Plant Fail

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The Environmental Protection Agency has determined water from both treatment plants in Jackson, Mississippi, is safe to drink, an agency spokesperson said in a statement.

The announcement comes just over two months after Jackson’s residents were launched into a public water crisis as flooding overwhelmed the city’s already troubled water system and the main treatment plant failed, resulting in brown, cloudy water flowing from pipes, a catastrophic water shortage and weeks of boil water notices.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said Monday that the EPA determined the city is now in compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act, which regulates public drinking water standards. He said the update was “welcome news.”

“Current sampling confirms water delivered from J.H. Fewell Water and O.B. Curtis Water Treatment is safe to drink. In addition, sampling for lead and copper has been completed and results are expected in mid-November,” the EPA statement said.

Due to cloudy water at the O.B. Curtis plant in late July, the city was under a boil water notice before the plant’s failure in August, leaving residents without safe water to brush their teeth, cook, drink or wash dishes. Boil water notices have become a fact of life for Jackson residents as the city’s water system has been plagued by years of old and leaky pipes, malfunctioning plants and insufficient funds for repairs.

Lumumba said the city is actively working to secure a firm to handle the operations and maintenance at the O.B. Curtis Water Plant, which failed in late August after decades of deferred maintenance.

By Amy Simonson and Elizabeth Wolfe
Source: cnn.com
Date: October 31, 2022