US

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves To Declare State Of Emergency And Tell Jackson Residents, ‘Do Not Drink The Water’

REUTERS TV/via REUTERS

Brianna Lyman News and Commentary Writer
Font Size:

Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is set to declare a state of emergency as Jackson residents are being warned not to drink the water after the city’s main water treatment facility failed Monday.

Reeves is set to declare the emergency as more than 180,000 residents are being told to not drink the tap water, according to CNN.

While residents deal with record rainfall and flooding, Reeves said the city could not produce running water, according to CNN. Issues stemming from the O.B. Curtis Water Plant left little to no water pressure, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said in a statement. Authorities expect the water shortage to last several days.

“It means we do not have reliable running water at scale. It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets and to meet other critical needs,” Reeves reportedly said.

“Please stay safe. Do not drink the water. In too many cases, it is raw water from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes. Be smart, protect yourself, protect your family,” Reeves told Jackson residents, according to CNN. (RELATED: ‘Not The Way The Economy Works’: Mississippi Governor Refuses To Participate In Possible Nationwide COVID-19 Lockdown)

The National Guard is expected to be called in to help distribute water to residents, CNN reported.

“Replacing our largest city’s infrastructure of running water with human distribution is a massively complicated logistical task,” Reeves said, according to the outlet. “We need to provide it for up to 180,000 people for an unknown period of time.”

The city was already facing water-related issues, having been under a boil water notice since July, when tests found the city-supplied water was clouded and could lead to illness, CNBC reported.