Mississippi City on High Alert: Boil Water Advisory Issued Due to E. coli Discovery

Residents in Mississippi’s capital, Jackson, and the suburb of Flowood have been instructed to boil their tap water due to the discovery of traces of E. coli bacteria in the city’s water supply. 

The precautionary measure comes as a blow to ongoing efforts to rebuild public trust in Jackson’s water system, according to Ted Henifin, the interim water manager.

The state health officials of Mississippi issued the boil water advisory in anticipation of the approaching cold snap, which may put further stress on the area’s water infrastructure. 

The presence of E. coli suggests potential contamination with human or animal waste, prompting authorities to advise residents to boil their water for at least one minute before use. The precaution is set to last for a minimum of two days, during which officials will collect new samples for testing.

Henifin expressed skepticism about the lab results, alleging that state officials failed to validate them before issuing the notice. He raised concerns about the possibility of false positive tests and argued that contamination in both Jackson and Flowood simultaneously seemed unlikely as the two cities’ water systems are not connected.

Mississippi Water Crisis

 

Henifin lamented, emphasizing the setback for rebuilding trust in the city’s water system, a process he has been overseeing since his appointment by a federal judge in November 2022. 

The late summer of that year saw infrastructural failures that left many households without access to safe running water for extended periods of time. These events preceded the appointment of the Mississippi judge.

Despite the health department’s insistence that the lab results are not false positives, Henifin anticipates that the boil water advisory may persist until Monday. 

This time frame fits with the projected arrival of freezing temperatures in the area, accompanied by an arctic blast sweeping over the Mississippi state. Jackson experienced water pressure reductions and frozen pipes as a result of prior cold events in 2021 and 2022.

Henifin, who has spearheaded various improvement projects for the water system, expressed disappointment over the potential setback caused by the recent boil water notice, emphasizing the importance of gaining validation for the results to maintain progress in restoring public confidence.