While the water-pressure crisis has eased in Jackson, several agencies and institutions will remain closed today, including state offices and Jackson Public Schools. Gov. Haley Barbour earlier this week declared a state of emergency in the city.
Mississippi’s Arctic Blast temperatures over the course of the last week were the reason the city of Jackson was victim to at least 132 water-line breaks and a citywide boil-water alert. Yesterday, Jackson Public Works and combined crews from other Mississippi cities had more than 30 breaks left to fix.
Officials said the water pressure in the city’s system must reach 65 pounds per square inch “in order for everyone to have water in Jackson,” Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said.
“I can’t guarantee that we’re not going to have this type of water crisis again. What I have to do is be truthful to people and make them understand that this episode that we’re going through is not man-made. It’s just as if a tornado or storm hit the city,” Johnson said. “For people to think that this could be prevented is unrealistic. What’s realistic is that we’re going to work as hard as we can to repair the damage that is done.”
“We expect, and are praying, it will increase to at least 54 by (this morning),” said Chris Mims, city spokesman. “That would be extremely significant.”
The Mississippi National Guard non-drinking water to these locations this morning:
• Candlestick Shopping Center, 810 Cooper Road.
• 711 W. Capitol St., behind the former Atmos building.
• 1475 Northside Drive, at the corner of Livingston Road.
• Smith-Wills Stadium 1200 Lakeland Drive.
Work crews have toiled night and day during the emergency. In repairing the lines, the city has designated areas around medical facilities a priority, Johnson said.
And the larger water lines also have gotten more attention, he said, in order to bring the pressure up faster.
Jackson has gotten help from other cities. Crews from Flowood, Madison, Ridgeland, Richland, Hattiesburg, Greenville, Canton and the Mississippi Department of Transportation have been working on leaks.
Those eight crews have been added to the city of Jackson’s four. “These additional crews should make the difference,” Johnson said.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will provide Jackson residents with bulk water for sanitary needs until 2 p.m. Thursday, Johnson said. MEMA provided Jackson with five 5,000-gallon water tanker trucks and 20 400-gallon water trailers to assist with water outages across the city. Thursday evening, the tanker trucks will help meet fire contingency plans, Johnson said.
Be the first to comment