Jackson water crisis forces residents to find alternatives

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG and LEAH WILLINGHAM
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – People continued to wait in lines at distribution sites and flooded stores for water to drink, bathe, cook and flush toilets Wednesday in Mississippi’s capital amid the failure of the the city water system.

The crisis came after flooding exacerbated longstanding problems in one of two water-treatment plants.

President Joe Biden said he called the city’s mayor to discuss response efforts, including support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Biden expressed determination to provide federal support to address the immediate crisis as well the longer term effort to rebuild Jackson’s aging water infrastructure.