(JACKSON, Miss.) — People in Mississippi’s capital are poised to lose running water for an undetermined amount of time, the state’s governor said Monday night.
A major pump at Jackson’s main water treatment facility was damaged and the city has been using backup pumps, Gov. Tate Reeves said during a news conference.
Until it’s fixed, there will be no reliable running water in Jackson, which will impact up to 180,000 people. The city won’t be able to produce enough water for serious needs, including fighting fires and flushing toilets, Reeves said.
All Jackson Public Schools will shift to virtual learning on Tuesday due to the water shortage, the school district said.
“We will continue to closely monitor the water conditions on a day-by-day basis at our schools while conferring with city officials to determine when scholars and staff can safely return for in-person learning,” the district said.
No timeline was given on when the main pump will be fixed.
Officials will distribute drinkable and non-drinkable water to residents, Reeves said.
On Friday, the governor was informed that Jackson wouldn’t be able to produce enough water for all of its residents.
Reeves is in the process of declaring a state of emergency, which will allow state officials to better help in Jackson.
On Twitter, the city said it’s not cutting off water to its residents, saying the water shortage is expected to last a couple of days.
The governor declared a state of emergency on Saturday for parts of central Mississippi that were impacted by major flooding that forced residents to evacuate.
Mississippi has begun emergency maintenance and repair of Jackson’s water system. Officials are warning the city’s residents to not drink the water because it’s raw water from the reservoirs being pushed through the pipes.
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