The Jackson Water Crisis Is a Disaster Created by Austerity
Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis is an omen of climate disasters to come. But August floods were only the straw that broke the Jackson water system’s back. More fundamentally, the crisis is the result of decades of disinvestment and austerity.
The Salvation Army of Jackson and Walmart distribute bottled water in Jackson, Mississippi on August 31, 2022. (Brad Vest / Getty Images)
After a crisis which left 150,000 residents without drinking water for weeks, water pressure in Jackson, Mississippi is back as of Monday. But safe, clean drinking water remains elusive, and it’s unclear when that will change.
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says it’s still too soon to declare the crisis over, and the city warned of “additional challenges” on the horizon. Jackson residents are still under the same boil-water advisory implemented in late July. For over a month, faucets have gushed a cloudy, discolored liquid that’s unsafe for drinking and cooking. Health officials told residents they could take a shower with the tainted water — albeit with mouths shut so as not to swallow it accidentally.
“It’s like we’re living in a nightmare right now,” a local high school sophomore told CNN.
Sorry, but this article is available to active subscribers only. Please log in or become a subscriber.