Jackson’s water system is getting new management

Federal courts have approved a plan to temporarily hire contractors to oversee Jackson’s water system. The plan was agreed upon by the Jackson City Council, the Mississippi Department of Health and the federal government, and is now enforceable under the federal courts. During a press conference in Washington, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice has also received approval on a secondary complaint against the city.

“The water is a problem right now and we can’t wait until the complaint is resolved,” says Garland. “So the first thing we want to do is get an interim order so that we can put in an interim manager and stabilize the circumstances. That’s the purpose of the interim order. The purpose of the complaint is to allow us to negotiate or at least attempt to negotiate a consent decree which will then be judicially enforceable.”

As details about the agreement emerge, advocates say they want to ensure that low-income Mississippians will be protected as the city shifts control of the water department to a third-party entity. Danyelle Holmes is with the Poor People’s Campaign and the Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition. She says a sudden increase in rates could be harmful to Jacksonians on a fixed income.

“There is a meeting that’s being held next week by the Department of Justice, an invite-only for community members, so those questions we are going to raise,” says Holmes. “And we’re going to continue to push and fight against those rate changes. And even if the rate changes have to take place, our argument will be that Jackson residents can’t afford significant rate changes at once.”

In a statement, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says that this is a crucial step in providing immediate and long-term solutions to Jackson’s water issues.