Jackson councilman estimates 75% of his ward still without water, more than a week into the latest water crisis

NEWS Amine 01 Jan , 2023 0

JACKSON, Mississippi (WLBT) – A Jackson City Council member says most of his boroughs still have no water, even though the city says it’s making progress to emerge from its current water crisis. increase.

“My family and I still have no water. In fact, nearly 75 percent of my wards (Ward 6), including all of Byram’s multi-family housing complexes and several communities, do not have water,” said Aaron Banks City Council. Lawmakers wrote in a social media post Saturday morning.

This post comes hours after the City of Jackson announced it had lifted the boiling water notice for well water systems and customers in the 39211 zip code.

The bank also took to social media to urge North Jackson businesses to keep or stop using water for eight hours to prevent tank pressure from rising again in the southern part of the city. It also occurred after I made a call.

Banks continues to be frustrated that he has been given little information about the crisis, despite the fact that his wards are usually hit hardest when water is cut off.

“No one in a position of authority has communicated with me. Like most residents, I text and call whenever I find a leak as a means of sharing information and providing fixes. “The frustrating part is, as an alderman, I can’t say [my constituents] Whatever when they call or text because I simply don’t know.

“I think the communication/information flow should be stronger, more consistent and more [frequent] We present it in a more truthful and concise way,” he added. “As a city council member, it’s embarrassing not to know what works.”

After a severe cold front hit the region late last week, tens of thousands of customers were left without water and numerous water mains in the city were broken.

As a result of the break, the water tank drained and the pressure dropped. Customers began reporting outages on Christmas Eve.

The administration has posted several updates on social media since the crisis began and provided updates at two press conferences. I said I couldn’t and I turned them on to Ted Heniffin, a third-party water manager.

Henifin was put in charge of the water system as part of a federal court order. He has led the city’s restoration efforts.

But Banks says little information has been provided to him directly. “This lack of communication makes me wonder if the real story is not being told. Why is there a lack of transparency? What is not being told?” he wrote.

“This is not a public battle with the mayor. We recognize that sometimes we stand on opposite sides of the issue. This is bigger than him and me,” he wrote. “This concerns the citizens of Jackson, and specifically the citizens of South Jackson, who have been without water for seven days.”

Banks and Jackson’s director of communications, Melissa Faith Payne, did not respond to a request for comment.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? click here To subscribe to our newsletter.