Two US congressional committees Monday launched investigations into Mississippi’s handling of the Jackson water crisis. In August, torrential rain and flooding in the Jackson, Mississippi area left approximately 180,000 people without water for days. The Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Homeland Security are requesting information from Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves on how the government plans to spend approximately $10 billion in federal funds to fix the state’s water infrastructure.
In a letter to Reeves, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) of the Committee of Oversight and Reform and Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS) of the Committee of Homeland Security urge Mississippi to take action to “protect the health and safety of Jackson residents and direct funding to Jackson immediately to fix this life and death issue.” According to Maloney and Thompson, the “Jackson water crisis was a disaster waiting to happen, and it will not be resolved unless we address generational disinvestment in majority-Black cities.”
Official projections estimate that approximately $1 billion is required to fix the Jackson water system, but Mississippi state officials placed a cap on the amount of funds municipalities can claim from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. Under the current plan, municipalities are only able to receive up to $500,000 of funding. The letter refers to prior reports of Mississippi government officials seeking to block money to fund water system repairs in Jackson, including a September 27 NAACP lawsuit. According to multiple investigative journalist pieces cited in the letter, Jackson’s water system has not been properly maintained since the 1950s.
The committees request a breakdown of what entities have received or are set to receive funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair or invest in drinking water systems, a description of the state’s review process for Jackson’s application for funds under the same laws and an update on the state’s plan for drinking water system improvements and related funding program. The letter requests all of the above information by October 31.
Moving forward, the committees’ investigation may mirror their efforts surrounding the Flint, Michigan water crisis. In that investigation, the Committee on Oversight and Reform urged investment in water infrastructure and health services. The Committee on Homeland Security conducted hearings to uncover how the issue came about and why the response at all levels lacked proper urgency.
