The Ugly Politics of Jackson, Mississippi’s Ongoing Water Crisis

According to Floyd, the situation has improved in recent years, but by no means are the water issues gone. Some neighborhoods, which have yet to be repaired, still have to deal with discolored water, sewage backups, and low pressure. When the water was in the hands of the city, there was at least “an air of it being a public utility,” so it felt like citizens had some say in the matter.

It frustrates Floyd that those overseeing the water system have downplayed residents’ concerns and met their skepticism with condescension. While she is not a water expert, it only takes common sense to know that when the bathwater comes out brown with particles floating around, you shouldn’t use it to bathe your kids, let alone drink it. To be told otherwise by JXN Water is an insult to residents’ intelligence.

“Give me a break,” she said, addressing those outside officials. “You drink the lemonade, or the sweet tea, made with this.”

After being appointed, Henifin got an apartment in Jackson. He often travels for work and tries to get home to Virginia for a long weekend at least twice a month. But, he tells me, he spends 20 to 25 days out of each month in the city. He claims to be “in the community quite a bit. Largely shopping, grocery shopping, going to dinner, going to lunch.” 

By his account, most residents are grateful to have their service restored, regardless of who is overseeing it. He views the “detractors” as a small but vocal minority that have had their voices amplified by national groups like the NAACP, or who are loyal to the mayor.