JACKSON, Miss. – JXN Water continues the work to improve the water operations for the city of Jackson with new management of the sewer system. Immediately responding to federal court order, JXN Water will work over the next four years to address the wastewater engineering challenges, staffing and budget with a list of priority projects.
“Having raw sewage flow down the streets of Jackson is unacceptable. JXN Water is aggressively at work right now to fix sewer overflows and restore sanitary sewer operations,” said Ted Henifin, interim third-party manager for Jackson’s drinking water and sewer systems. “There are about 215 overflows right now across the city and they're in neighborhoods where people live close by… you got businesses, cars driving through, people trying to walk their dogs. They don't want to walk near this. It causes them to have to take alternate routes. It's just a mess, and we're going to get at it right away.”
A summary of the public comments for the sewer order showed the overwhelming support for the work of the ITPM, with 95 percent of comments expressing favorable sentiment.
“Thank you to Jackson area leaders, the Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency and others who support this opportunity to address a longstanding sewer problem in the community together.”
Video of some of the worst sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in the city is available for download: https://vimeo.com/847448839
A full list of emergency sewer failures can be found in the court order.
You can do your part to improve the sewer system by staying current on your water bill and practicing good stewardship:
-Avoid spilling grease into faucets or toilets.
-Not flushing wipes. Even if the package claims the wipes are flushable, wipes are a major cause of potential blockages in the system.
-Only flushing the three P’s: Pee, Paper, Poo. Sewer systems are designed to handle urine, toilet paper or feces.
-If you see debris in a drain, remove it. Avoid sewer drain blockages by safely removing any trash, trees or other items that could block a sewer drain during periods of rainy weather.
About JXN Water
JXN Water is committed to providing safe, reliable drinking water and collecting and cleaning wastewater before it returns to our local waterways. Customers can continue to call the new JXN Water customer call center at 601-500-5200 at any time, any day, seven days a week to connect with staff who can check on their account, help them establish new service and resolve issues quickly and directly.
JXN Water is the Mississippi corporation formed for the appointed Interim Third-Party Manager to achieve the objectives of the federal stipulated orders that re-establish the utility’s operations and maintenance functions for the entire water system. For more information, visit JXNwater.com.
