Second time is a charm: Water forgiveness bill for Jackson ratepayers will become law Justin Vicory, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
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A bill offering forgiveness for some unpaid water and sewer bills in the city of Jackson will now become law after the veto of a similar bill last year by the governor.
This year s bill will allow officials to consider letting Jackson ratepayers with disputed or delinquent accounts to forego paying the full amount of their bill.
It will also allow the city to establish payment plans, or provide additional time for customers to make payments on their water and sewer bills.
Jackson water crisis updates: Service restored; boil order remains clarionledger.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from clarionledger.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
All Jackson water customers now have water running through their faucets although some areas of the city are still experiencing low water pressure, Public Works Director Charles Williams said Monday. Today we feel very confident that all of our residents on the connection side are receiving their water, Williams said at a press conference in front of City Hall.
Jackson still remains under a citywide boil water notice, meaning the water is still unsafe to drink unless it is boiled first.
Williams said the notice could be lifted for all 43,000 customers on the city s surface water system in the next couple days.
JACKSON, Mississippi – Less than 2 miles from the Mississippi s Capitol building, an elderly Black man hoards water.
James Brooks, 78, keeps rows of plastic containers of water at his Jackson home filled with varying shades of gray, yellow and brown water. On the porch. In the kitchen. In the bathroom. Water from the tap, water from Walmart, water from the melting snow on the roof of his car, boiled water, distilled water, most of it collected drip by drip and stored. There are so many gallon containers it is hard to walk among them, especially for his wife, Jean, who uses a cane.
There is still no federal disaster declaration in Mississippi as the city of Jackson enters the fourth week of its water crisis. That is likely to change in the next week, state officials said.
Several southern states have been approved for emergency declarations that open the door for federal assistance amid recovery from brutal winter storms that knocked out power and water services to millions in February.
President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Texas on Feb. 20. He approved another for Louisiana Tuesday.
Gov. Tate Reeves has until March 21 to submit a declaration to the White House and FEMA. State Sen. John Horhn said Tuesday he expects the declaration to be sent by the end of next week. The governor s press secretary, Bailey Martin, said in an email the state is still in the process of requesting federal assistance.