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“So you look at consecutive days of being around 20 degrees and 25 degrees, our systems were not designed for that, especially those elements that are exposed at the plant. And so, as a result of that, we were limited in the amount of water that we can bring into the plant and ultimately the amount of water that we could treat and put into the distribution system.”
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—Mayor Lumumba, see page 8-9
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Jackson’s Water Crisis Lingers into March by Julian Mills
March 3 - 30, 2021 • jfp.ms
Jackson slowed to a standstill as the February storm moved in, and then stayed. As March began, residents and businesses were still suffering.
they, like many Jackson residents, did not have working faucets or safe water. Sulton counts himself lucky compared to some, because he is able to stay at a hotel when necessary. “It’s very frustrating, he said. Even with the ability to stay at hotels, their lives are disrupted.
“There’s a lot of riding, there’s a lot of driving back and forth,” he said. Still, Sulton has hope for Jackson. “Jackson has so much potential,” he said. “I mean the entire city. I think a lot of times the leadership of the city gets pigeonholed into focusing on certain parts
of the city, and I think the western and southern parts of the city get neglected. Those are the areas where you have the most people, and I think that this is putting a gigantic spotlight on that. “It’s kind of glaring that the area of the city with water is the area that
St. Paddy’s Lucky Charm Photo Scavenger Hunt Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash
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Kristin Brenemen
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obert Sulton has lived in south Jackson since 2007, when he and his wife built their home just north of Byram. They had experienced power outages and boil-water notices before, but none as bad as the last two weeks of February 2021. “I guess you take a lot for granted when you have water to just be able to turn on the faucet and see the water running or do whatever, but when you don’t have it, I mean, it’s a humbling experience,” Sulton told the Jackson Free Press. “It really is.” Sulton was one of many south Jackson residents who would be without water for the better part of February, when a winter storm battered the state for days. On the night of Feb. 11, temperatures in Jackson plummeted to freezing, and then they stayed that way. For the next nine days, Jackson stood still through bitter days and frozen nights. As the cold lingered, city infrastructure incurred increasingly alarming damage. Left without water, Sulton explained his frustrations and hopes with the city. He has lived in and around Jackson since 1985, when he moved here to attend Jackson State University. He has moved around the area since then, but built his home in south Jackson in 2007, nearer to Byram but still within Jackson. But Sulton’s frustrations are not just about water. Neglected South, West Jackson Before the storm, Sulton and his entire neighborhood had to deal with the smell of sewage coming from what amounted to a drainage ditch that reeked like a sewage tap near their homes. They breathed the putrid air from the fall of 2020 until recently before the winter storm hit, though Sulton is not sure if the problem might creep back up when temperatures rise. He and his wife first lost most of their water pressure on Feb. 16, and power the next day. Their power outage lasted until Feb. 20, but as of March 2,
The pandemic may have completed a full year’s lap, but we can still have some fun this St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, even while adhering to CDC guidelines pertaining to COVID-19. You could drop green food coloring onto your food to serve your household some festive meals, pull up YouTube and learn a Celtic dance, or you could use the following list to go on a photo scavenger hunt. You can challenge yourself to see how many of these good-luck charms and symbols you can find throughout your day on March 17 itself, or you could establish a competition with your friends, family or coworkers to see who can find the most items on the list before the day’s end. However you choose to celebrate, be safe and have fun
Horseshoe The Number 7 Barnstar Shamrock or Clover
Dice Ladybug Rainbow White Elephant
Pig Acorns Fish Wishbone
