MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued an Executive Order Tuesday officially ending the state of emergency in the city of Jackson and surrounding areas that receive water from the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant.
Reeves declared the State of Emergency in late August, with a nearly month-long boil water alert in place, and the two primary raw water pumps at O.B. Curtis previously removed for repairs and out of commission.
The Environmental Protection Agency has now determined that the water from both the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant and the J.H. Fewell water Treatment Plant are safe to drink.
The Jackson City Council has also unanimously approved an agreement with the federal government to appoint a third-party administrator to operate the city’s water system.
“I’m incredibly thankful to the folks at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Mississippi National Guard who worked tirelessly to restore clean water to the residents of Jackson and respond to this emergency situation,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “The only remaining imminent challenge is the city’s refusal to hire routine maintenance staff … we need new leadership at the helm so that this crisis of incompetence cannot continue.”
