Governor Reeves Responds to Congress on Jackson Water Crisis

JACKSON, Miss. – Governor Tate Reeves officially responded to a letter sent by Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Rep. Bennie Thompson which raised a series of concerns about the Jackson Water Crisis.

Governor Reeves’ newly submitted letter highlights that Jackson has, in fact, received all funding requested and a disproportionate amount when compared to the other 1,100 water systems of the state.

In his response, Governor Reeves stated:

“[M]y administration is deeply committed to ensuring that all federal funds received by Mississippi for drinking water systems upgrades have been in the past and will continue to be in the future made available and distributed among Mississippi’s more than 1,100 water systems on an objective and race-neutral basis.”

The letter also documents systematic failures of City management which ultimately led to the need for the state of Mississippi to step in and stabilize Jackson’s water system.

“In late August, with a nearly month-long boil water alert in place, and the two primary raw water pumps at O.B. Curtis previously removed for repairs and out of commission, the total collapse of the City’s water system was imminent.”

Additionally, it notes that the United States Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, issued a letter to Jackson expressing its intention to file an action against the City under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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