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November 3, 2022

Jackson Officials Say Water Finally Safe to Drink; Flint Residents Ask Judge to Replace Lead Pipes
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In Jackson, Mississippi, federal and state officials have declared the
city's water supply to be in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water
act. This follows a "boil water" advisory across Jackson that lasted
nearly seven weeks, after flooding on the Pearl River led to a
system-wide failure of the city's water supply in August. On Monday,
hundreds of Jackson residents rallied outside the Governor's Mansion to
hold the State of Mississippi accountable for the water crisis. The
protest was led by Bishop William Barber of the Poor People's Campaign.

Bishop William Barber: "Majority black- and brown low-income communities
are left to suffer the devastating consequences of crumbling outdated
water infrastructure."

In Michigan, residents of Flint have asked a judge to intervene once
again in their long-running campaign to replace the lead pipes that led
to the mass-poisoning of the city's water supply, as well as a deadly
outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. It's the fifth time in six years
community groups have asked a court to enforce an agreement requiring
the city to take action. Melissa Mays, organizer with the group Flint
Rising, said, "The people of Flint won't tolerate any more broken
promises from the city, which is under a federal court order to get the
lead pipes out of the ground and somehow still can't get the job done."


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