After a week of little to no water pressure, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Jackson residents should have normal water pressure.
Heavy rain caused the city’s aging water system to crumble. The result was people did not have water for cooking, drinking, taking showers and other purposes.
Despite the announcement from the governor, the city is still under a boil advisory. The city said residents should boil water for cooking and brushing their teeth. Officials said Monday that two more water samples are needed before lifting the boil advisory.
Even with water pressure returning to normal, Reeves said future issues are to be expected.
“We know that it is always possible that there will be more severe challenges. This system broke over several years, and it would be inaccurate to claim it is totally solved over a week,” Reeves said. “We know how to respond, and we can do so effectively. We have the personnel in place today to prevent as many issues as possible, while understanding that a week of repairs does not eliminate every risk. There may be more bad days in the future.”
A handful of water distribution sites remained open on Tuesday.
The crisis also prompted President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency, which allowed for national resources to address the water shortage.
