Jackson water lawsuit overview:
- Who: The federal government sued the City of Jackson, Mississippi.
Why: The Environmental Protection Agency asserts that the City of Jackson failed to provide safe drinking water to its residents, citing instances of contaminated water. - Where: The lawsuit was filed in Mississippi federal court.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a civil lawsuit against the City of Jackson, claiming that the city’s residents have not had reliable access to safe water for multiple years.
The EPA filed the civil lawsuit on Nov. 29, 2022, in light of multiple incidents of alleged water contamination in Jackson over the last several years, culminating this year.
The EPA claims that the water issues included multiple line breaks and water pressure failures, both of which exposed the city’s water supply to contaminants like E. coli, giardia and cryptosporidium. The city has almost five times the number of legally allowed line breaks between 2017 and 2021, the Jackson lawsuit states.
Jackson lawsuit alleges contaminated water can harm residents
Jackson’s water contamination issues can have serious effects on residents’ health and quality of life, the lawsuit claims.
The city issued multiple boil water advisories, and the water contamination can reportedly prevent residents from being able to drink water, bathe and complete other necessary tasks. The problem can also affect the city’s ability to perform functions like firefighting, according to the Jackson water lawsuit.
Jackson has jurisdiction over the administration and implementation of its water system so long as it complies with federal and state safety regulations, the lawsuit states. However, when the city fails to comply with these regulations, it falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government to ensure that the city’s water system is appropriately run, according to the Jackson water lawsuit.
Allegedly, such is the case in Jackson. Along with its civil lawsuit, the EPA submitted a proposal suggesting that a third party be temporarily appointed to administer and implement the city’s water system.
In related news, residents of Jackson, Mississippi, filed a class action lawsuit against the city and its officials in September.
Do you trust that your city’s tap water is safe to drink? Tell us in the comments!
The United States Federal Government is represented by Todd Kim, assistant attorney general, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Karl Fingerhood, Angela Mo, Stefan J. Bachman and Devon Lea Flanagan of the Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Darren J. Lamarca, United States attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi; Angela Givens Williams, chief of the Civil Division, assistant United States attorney; Jennifer Case, assistant United States attorney; Suzanne Rubini, Suzanne Armor and Michele Wetherington of the EPA, Region 4; and James Vinch, of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
The Jackson water lawsuit is United States of America v. City of Jackson, Mississippi, Case No. 3:22-cv-00686-HTW-LGI, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division.
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