JACKSON, Miss. — Labor Day may be far from leisurely for residents who are approaching a week of unsafe drinking water and soaring temperatures as the capital city's ongoing water crisis worsens.
Officials have said improvements were coming but Jackson’s water problems could continue “indefinitely” as crews worked to fix the pump at the city’s largest water treatment plant. As of Wednesday, Jim Craig, director of health protection for Mississippi's health department, said there wasn't yet a timeline “for the adequate and sustainable water supply to be coming from the facilities.”
But what's likely in store for Jackson's 150,000 residents: a long weekend of watching water boil for a minute before cooking, as they’ve done since July amid an ongoing boil-water notice; hoping water bottles don't run out as they wait in sprawling water distribution lines amid 90-plus-degree heat; and having to shower with their mouths closed, as instructed by officials Thursday.
"I'm tired," said Derykah Watts, a lifelong Jackson resident and a senior at Jackson State University. "We are all very tired that we have to work so hard just to get water, something that should be readily available to any and everyone at any time."
Watts won’t even face the shower head.
“I don’t feel comfortable,” Watts told USA TODAY. “I spend most of my shower looking away so I'm not accidentally ingesting water.”
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It's like a game of Russian roulette, said Shirley Harrington, who also lives in Jackson.
“You don’t know if you’re going to wake up with water, don’t know if you got water, don’t know what condition the water is in,” Harrington said. “There’s so many statements: ‘Do not drink,’ ‘Do not use,’ ‘You can use, but don’t drink,’ so you’re like, ‘What do I really do?’”
Flooding in August bloated the Pearl River, causing pump failures at the city’s largest water treatment plant. The river was below flood stage Friday, and officials reported “significant” progress in repairing the water plant’s issues.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday seven water distribution sites staffed by the National Guard would be opening across the city. Lines throughout the week were long, with people getting turned away Tuesday after a site ran out of 700 cases of water in about two hours, CNN reported.
Resident Mary Huard said her child had to shift to online schooling when the district canceled classes due to weak water pressure. “We’re on a budget, we have to go buy water all the time," Huard said.
Bellhaven University also went virtual for the week with inconsistent water flow on campus. Millsaps College rented two sets of portable showers for 200 students living on the midtown campus.
MORE:Water crisis forces Jackson State team to leave campus before FAMU game
Dozens of local and regional organizations like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, have stepped in to deliver bottled water. Mary Gaines, who stays in a senior living facility, was among those getting cases of free water Thursday.
Watts is part of a mostly student-run organization helping people access clean water.
“Whether it's lack of transportation, you have a disability or you’re elderly, whatever the situation is, if you call our hotline, we are doing our best to get water out to you,” she said.
Meanwhile, business owners were concerned Jackson’s latest water crisis could bring an end to their livelihoods.
“This isn’t a new thing. It has been going on for me for like 20 years," said Derek Emerson, owner of Walker’s Drive-in.
The city has long grappled with water issues thanks to an aging, underinvested and neglected water infrastructure that has impacted Jackson's communities of color the most, where residents are 80% Black.
"Everybody is acting like this is a new situation. It’s not. It’s a ridiculous situation that should have been addressed 20 years ago," said Emerson. "The other towns are too close to move to. If something isn’t done, there isn’t going to be any business in Jackson."
Sarah Friedler, general manager of Brent’s Drugs, said the "overwhelming" impact on businesses was wearing people out.
"We can’t keep living and working like this," Friedler said. “Usually you try to hang on to some kind of hope, and I don’t know what that is right now and neither does anyone else."
MORE:Federal government, fellow Mississippians step in to help Jackson amid ongoing water crisis
How is the situation at the water plant improving?
Over half the tanks of the O.B. Curtis Water Plant’s surface system had begun refilling early Thursday, the city of Jackson said in a statement.
The update means water pressure is slowly returning to “many areas” throughout the city, with near-normal pressure having returned for spots closest to the plant. Pressure levels are expected to improve as the tank water levels rise, according to city officials.
“The total plant output has increased to 78 PSI (pounds per square inch),” a city statement read. “The goal on the surface system is 87 PSI.”
People living farther out from the plant still have little to no water pressure, officials said, with city figures as of Wednesday morning showing 80% of the water system's customers had little to no water. It was not clear how many had been substantially restored by Friday.
Mayor, governor unify to combat crisis
For the first time since Jackson’s latest water crisis unfolded, Gov. Reeves and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba united at a joint news conference Thursday. Lumumba previously criticized the state for not allocating extra funding to fix Jackson’s water infrastructure issues, MSNBC reported. He said Thursday the frustrations of Jackson’s residents are warranted.
“I just want to assure you that you have a unified front at this hour at this time endeavoring to fix it, not only work to ensure water reliability in the near future, but for the very distant future as well,” Lumumba said.
Contributing: The Associated Press; Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY; Wicker Perlis,The Mississippi Clarion Ledger
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