$600M designated for struggling water system in Mississippi

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The federal government will put $600 million toward repairing the troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city — a project that the mayor has said could cost billions of dollars. Funding for Jackson water is included in a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law. Jackson is a majority-Black city of nearly 150,000, with about 25% of residents living in poverty. The water system nearly collapsed in late August after heavy rainfall exacerbated problems at the main water treatment plant. Most of Jackson lost running water for several days. People had to wait in lines for water to drink, cook, bathe and flush toilets.