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Finally, part 3 of my series on the Jackson water crisis.
How did we get here? To understand the scope of the problem, consider the history. There was a time when the federal government massively supported municipal water systems.
And then it stopped. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
How did we get here? To understand the scope of the problem, consider the history. There was a time when the federal government massively supported municipal water systems.
And then it stopped. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
In writing this story, I interviewed almost every living mayor of the City of Jackson, infrastructure experts across the country, and representatives from two federal agencies.
The history is enormously complex. The outcome is what we live with today. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
The history is enormously complex. The outcome is what we live with today. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
On March 2, Gov. Tate Reeves seemed amused with how much attention the Jackson water crisis was receiving. “This is not an issue that is unique to our capital city,” he told me.
He likely had no idea how right he was. Legacy cities across America face crumbling water systems.
He likely had no idea how right he was. Legacy cities across America face crumbling water systems.
Director Alfredo Gomez of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's Natural Resources and Environment team spoke extensively with @MSFreePress on the subject.
His team found crumbling water infrastructure across the shrinking cities of the US interior. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
His team found crumbling water infrastructure across the shrinking cities of the US interior. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
And the crumbling happened after in the decades following the Reagan era. The federal government decided the time had passed for strong federal support for water utilities. Costs never stopped rising. But federal money functionally vanished.
Dr. Aaron Packman of Northwestern University's Center for Water Research, told me that this pullback was intentional- and ideological. "This is the federal government giving up its responsibility to make sure that people have good water systems.” https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
This is the largest story I have ever written. It involved many late nights and many packed weekends.
I was happy to take it on. Because a problem like the Jackson water crisis took years to develop, and it will take tremendous unity and effort to mend. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
I was happy to take it on. Because a problem like the Jackson water crisis took years to develop, and it will take tremendous unity and effort to mend. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/11498/under-the-surface-part-3-a-legacy-in-decline/
