Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.
I saw the leaky fire hydrant up ahead on my daily walk. I had seen it every morning for several weeks, but had refrained from calling the city to repair it. I knew what they would say. “If we repair it, the pressure in the pipes will go up, and they might burst.” I had heard this line before when I had called about an uncapped hydrant.
But this time was different. Now, the federal government had allocated $800 million to repair Jackson’s water system. Now, if a pipe burst, funds were available to replace the pipe that had failed. I made the call.
A few days later I saw the leaky hydrant had been replaced by a new one. I turned the corner past it and looked down the street. The far end was flooded, and surrounding the flooded area were three trucks and workers busy repairing the leak.
I had timed my call well.
Jackson is now only a few days away from an election to determine its leaders for the next four years. Only about half the candidates for mayor seem to recognize the water system is an issue that needs attention. The quality of water in Jackson has been improving steadily since the crisis of 2022 and the ensuing intervention by the federal government, but Jackson will likely reach a crucial crossroads two years from now, when the officials elected this year will be in office. Together with the state government, they will decide the way that the water supply of the city and disposal of sewage will be managed and funded for decades to come.
Jackson’s water system is complicated to run for several reasons. Unlike most other municipalities in Mississippi which rely on relatively clean well water, Jackson must rely mainly on surface water which requires more processing to remove contaminants. Jackson has three filtration plants: two for surface water and one for well water. One of the surface-water plants, O.B. Curtis, actually hosts two different filtration systems, more complex than any other plant in Mississippi. Personnel must be present for ensuring that the plant works smoothly, all day every day. Each plant also requires laboratory personnel who test the water frequently and ensure that it meets quality standards. Most of the personnel have received training or certification for their positions. All the plants are over 20 years old, adding to the expense of maintenance. In addition to the filtration plants, Jackson has a vast web of pipes that delivers water to city residents and which needs to be maintained leak-free.
I was given the opportunity by JXN Water, the water company that was created to repair Jackson’s water system, to attend a series of lectures on the system, and I was also given a tour of the O.B. Curtis water plant. I had a firsthand look at how the city’s water is processed, learned what will have been accomplished within the next two years, and what will remain to be done.
JXN Water has made considerable progress in repairing and enhancing the water system. The filtration plants have been insulated against cold, preventing deep freezes from disrupting service such as occurred in 2021 and in 2022. The filtration system at the J.H. Fewell plant has been rehabilitated, and rehabilitation at O.B. Curtis is ongoing. Over 5,200 leaks in the distribution system have been repaired, and numerous valves have been opened that were mistakenly left closed. Some pipes have been replaced with ones of larger diameter.
Several improvements have been made with an eye to the future. Pressure sensors to detect leaks have been placed throughout the distribution system. JXN Water has generated a digital map of the distribution system, including locations of valves and whether the valves are open or closed. The old meters have been replaced with electronic ones that continuously relay usage information to JXN Water. These changes will help locate future leaks, and the last improvement eliminates the need for reading meters.
Despite this progress, several challenges remain. Terminal pipes in the delivery system need to be replaced with ones of larger diameter to accommodate increased pressure. The sewage system is also in need of repair and rehabilitation. Federal funds cover neither of these, but JXN Water is using remittances by customers to make progress on these issues. Regrettably, these remittances are still lagging. JXN Water’s number one financial goal is increasing the number of consistent rate payers. Another challenge is attracting qualified staff to Jackson.
I chatted with some of the staff at JXN Water who had previously worked for the city of Jackson. I asked them what it was like to work for JXN Water, and was told that it was wonderful to be “treated right” for a change.
Jackson faced staffing shortages in 2022. The Environment Protection Agency mandates that a Class-A operator be present at both surface-water plants around the clock. Ideally, twelve Class-A operators should be on staff per plant in case of absences. In August, 2022 the O.B. Curtis plant had only two. The deputy director of water operations resigned, citing exhaustion from putting in extensive overtime to substitute for the operators that the plant lacked.
Nationally, people with the qualifications to run water filtration systems are in short supply. Mississippi is among the states that employ the most water-system operators. It is also among the states that pays them the least.
JXN Water is addressing the shortage of operators via an internship program that trains Jacksonians to run the filtration plants. It is uncertain, though, how many recruits will choose to remain in Jackson when they have skills that are in high demand elsewhere.
Jackson needs competent leadership to deal with its water system. Fortunately, the upcoming election has a wide array of candidates. In order to solve the issue of Jackson’s water supply, we need to select leaders who are informed about what the federal funds have accomplished and what these funds cannot do. Our leaders also need to be able to make the compromises necessary to construct an administrative framework for the water and sewage systems that will persuade the state and federal governments to fund any shortfalls.
In the coming days, the citizens of Jackson should examine the backgrounds of the candidates to decide which have the attributes to solve this problem.
Ranjan Batra retired in 2020 from University of Mississippi Medical Center after teaching anatomy and doing research in neurobiology for 21 years. He lives in Belhaven with his wife and is overjoyed that last year JXN Water fixed the sewage leak of many years behind their house.
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