On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration over the water crisis in the state of Mississippi, after the state’s government declared a state of emergency and warned people in the capital and surrounding area to avoid drinking tap water.

“Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for a period of 90 days,” the White House statement said.

Jackson, the state’s capital, has spent years struggling with a deteriorating water system.

Residents of the majority Black city, with more than 150,000, have dealt with service disruptions and recurring boil-water advisories, due to warnings of contaminants like lead and E. coli bacteria in the water. 

During an emergency briefing on Monday, Governor Tate Reeves said the city would be without “reliable running water at scale” indefinitely. The governor said that means the city won’t be able to produce enough water to deal with emergencies or reliably flush toilets.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued an emergency order on Monday which said the flooding “created problems with treating water” for the city’s primary water-treatment plant, the O.B. Curtis Water Plant.

What caused the deterioration of Jackson’s water system?

Recent flooding exacerbated the city's longstanding issues facing one of the two water-treatment plants.

Jackson’s issue with its aging water system has been so persistent that the Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice in January that it violated the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. 

Decades of underinvestment in the city’s water system has been the cause for much of the current issues the city is facing.

The water main runs around 1,500 miles, with some areas as old as 100 years-old.

In 2013, the city sought to upgrade the sewer lines and water-treatment plants with a $90 million contract with Siemens Inc. The deal led to further issues, including the installation of water meters that measured water in gallons instead of cubic feet, raising bills for many residents.

This led to future conflicts between the city and Siemens, leading to a lawsuit from Jackson against the company and several subcontractors for $450 billion, reaching an $89.8 million settlement in 2020.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba estimated that fixing the city’s infrastructure could cost up to two billion dollars.  While Mississippi will receive $75 million for federal infrastructure from President Biden’s infrastructure bill, the money is meant for the whole state.

In June 2020, Governor Reeves, vetoed bipartisan legislation meant to help residents with overdue water bills which would have enabled the city to collect needed water revenue.

Resident’s reaction

Businesses and private residents have already felt the burden of the water crisis.

The state activated its National Guard to help distribute water to thousands of Jackson residents.

Jackson Public Schools said it was holding classes virtually due to water shortages, while Jackson State University said it would hold classes online for the remainder of the week as it waits for water supplies.

The city will likely see short relief with the installation of a temporary pump for one of the city’s water processing plant, residents are still frustrated and afraid.

“It’s a hurtful feeling when you don’t have any water,” Monica Lashay Bass, a mother of three, told Reuters as she waited for an allotment of bottled water. “Especially when you’ve got newborn babies.”