Officials said the state has restored water quality but cautioned that the system is "still imperfect" and that future interruptions are possible.
Published Sep. 16, 2022 1:05 PM EDT | Updated Sep. 16, 2022 1:05 PM EDT
Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Mississippi has lifted a boil notice in Jackson and surrounding areas after a water crisis spanning nearly seven weeks, Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday.
Reeves said that while the state has restored the water quality and the boil water notice can end, the system is "still imperfect."
"It is possible, although I certainly pray not inevitable, that there will be further interruptions. We cannot perfectly predict what may go wrong with such a broken system in the future," he said.
He issued a state of emergency order on Aug. 30 after a failure of the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant in Jackson. President Joe Biden pledged federal aid to Jackson and approved an emergency declaration that day.
The governor said in a statement that the emergency orders "will remain in full force and effect until deemed appropriate to lift."
Reeves said Mississippi officials "stepped in to fix Jackson's water system" and have restored water pressure, increased the amount of water produced and fixed and reinstalled broken parts that prevented residents from having clean water.
"We can now announce that we have restored clean water to the city of Jackson," Reeves said.
The governor said the state's health department began testing the water quality Tuesday and collected 120 samples in two consecutive days that allowed for the advisory to be lifted.
"Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the system. Additional testing will be administered to ensure continued water quality," Reeves said.
The governor lambasted the national media who he said "have attempted to paint a narrative of division" despite local, state and federal officials working to restore water to the city.
"There has been one common focus through all of this, restoring clean water to the people of Jackson," Reeves said. "That was the collective goal that we all shared."
Reeves also praised the Mississippi National Guard for delivering almost 11 million bottles of water to the residents of Jackson.
"I want to thank all of our National Guard service members. Their tireless work has ensured that everyone in Jackson got the clean water that they needed," Reeves said.
"They distributed over 11 million bottles of water to the residents of Jackson. This is no small feat, but our Mississippi National Guard is used to performing incredible tasks like this one."
Reeves added that there will be "a lot of hard conversations" about next steps and the work needed to be done to create a sustainable water system.
"All of that is important," Reeves said. "Today, I want to focus on thanking the team that has pulled us out of the darkest part of this crisis and express my gratitude to all the Mississippians and Americans who played a role."
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