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16 Jackson homes found to have lead in water connections, mayor says

City to replace lines, offer affected residents filtration systems
Michaila Franklin
Reporter/Anchor
Gracyn Gordon
Reporter
16 Jackson homes found to have lead in water connections, mayor says

City to replace lines, offer affected residents filtration systems

LATEST ON WHAT WE KNOW AND HOW RESIDENTS ARE RESPONDING. <GG: "RESIDENTS OVERALL SAY THEY AREN'T SURPRISED LEAD WAS FOUND IN SOME JACKSON WATER. NOW THIS LEAVES THE CITY CONTACTING THE FAMILIES WHO ARE IMPACTED."> THIS UNSETTLING CONFIRMATION GIVEN BY JACKSON MAYOR CHOCKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA WEDNESDAY." <LUMUMBA: "OUT OF THE 23,094 METERS, 16 CONNECTIONS, SO A VERY SMALL NUMBER, HAVE REVEALED TO HAVE CONTAINED LEAD WITHIN THOSE.> NOT A SHOCK TO RESIDENTS LIVING IN JACKSON'S WATER CRISIS EVERY DAY. <WILLY HUFF: "IF THEY DON'T REPLACE THOSE OLD PIPES, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN."> THE CITY SAYS THESE CONNECTIONS ARE SCATTERED ACROSS THE CAPITOL CITY. 10 OF THE 16 THE PROPERTIES OF JACKSON'S FAMILIES. <SCOTT WILLIAMS: "PEOPLE JUST DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT JACKSON. I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME AS FLINT. IT'S THE SAME IN TEXAS. WE NEED BETTER LEADERSHIP."> THE MAYOR SAYS JACKSON PLANS TO REPLACE THE WATER LINES AND GIVE OUT FILTRATION SYSTEMS TO THE IMPACTED CONNECTIONS. BUT SOME ARE STILL HESITANT TO TRUST DRINKING THE CITY'S WATER... CONTINUING TO HYDRATE WITH BOTTLED WATER. <WILLY HUFF: "I WENT IN AND GOT SOME WATER TODAY. EVERYBODY ONLY DRINKS BOTTLED WATER ANYWAY, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TRUST IT." çáááVOáááÑ UNTRUSTWORTHY WATER A MATTER OF OLD NEWS FOR JACKSON RESIDENTS. çáááSOTáááÑ <SCOTT WILLIAMS: "WHEN YOU HAVE POLITICIANS WHO'D RATHER LINE THEIR POCKETS AND BENEFIT THEMSELVES, RATHER THAN BENEFITING THE ACTUAL RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO VOTED THEM INTO OFFICE, YOU GET LEAD IN THE WATER PIPES."> <GG: "MAYOR LUMUMBA SAYS MORE HOMES WITH LEAD COU
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16 Jackson homes found to have lead in water connections, mayor says

City to replace lines, offer affected residents filtration systems
Michaila Franklin
Reporter/Anchor
Gracyn Gordon
Reporter
The city of Jackson has discovered that more than two dozen homes have lead in the water lines.A contract is underway to install about 56,000 new water meters across the city."Out of the 23,094 meters, 16 connections — so a very small number — have revealed to have contained lead within those. We are in the process of communicating with those households," Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said during a Wednesday briefing.The mayor said the homes are across the city and not in one particular area. Letters will go out Thursday informing affected residents that the city will replace the lines and offer a filtration system, which the mayor said will make the water safe.Six of the water lines are on city property and 10 are on property belonging to the homeowners, Lumumba said. City officials said they are service lines that connect to the home, not major water lines."It was of some level of alarm to those that were doing the installation and they brought it to our attention, and we brought it to the residents' attention," Lumumba said. "We're concerned about (the residents) and that's why we're responding. We're being proactive and remediating this and making it a high priority."The city has had ongoing water system problems, which led to a state of emergency and a federal disaster declaration to repair the O.B. Curtis Water Plant. Water service has been restored and a state-issued boil water advisory was lifted. Long-term solutions are being considered by local, state and federal authorities.
JACKSON, Miss. —

The city of Jackson has discovered that more than two dozen homes have lead in the water lines.

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A contract is underway to install about 56,000 new water meters across the city.

"Out of the 23,094 meters, 16 connections — so a very small number — have revealed to have contained lead within those. We are in the process of communicating with those households," Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said during a Wednesday briefing.

The mayor said the homes are across the city and not in one particular area. Letters will go out Thursday informing affected residents that the city will replace the lines and offer a filtration system, which the mayor said will make the water safe.

Six of the water lines are on city property and 10 are on property belonging to the homeowners, Lumumba said. City officials said they are service lines that connect to the home, not major water lines.

"It was of some level of alarm to those that were doing the installation and they brought it to our attention, and we brought it to the residents' attention," Lumumba said. "We're concerned about (the residents) and that's why we're responding. We're being proactive and remediating this and making it a high priority."

The city has had ongoing water system problems, which led to a state of emergency and a federal disaster declaration to repair the O.B. Curtis Water Plant. Water service has been restored and a state-issued boil water advisory was lifted. Long-term solutions are being considered by local, state and federal authorities.