Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin appeared before a federal judge on Wednesday to discuss comments made regarding if the city’s water was safe to drink.
During a press conference last week, Lumumba announced that expecting mothers and caregivers with children five years old or younger were eligible to receive a free water filter, which was provided by a $100,000 donation from United Healthcare.
Lumumba explained that city officials had been working to acquire the filters for months with the intention of restoring residents’ confidence in the drinking water.
“When residents receive those notices, the precautionary notice that the Department of Health indicates that we have to put out, it creates a question whether I can drink this water, whether I’m safe, and whether my child is safe,” Lumumba said during the press conference. “This is an effort to make certain that we’re sure that we’re sure, an effort to restore their confidence in the drinking water without them having to bear the burden of costs.”
U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate requested a court hearing with Lumumba and Henifin shortly after the event, with the three set to discuss Jackson’s current water quality on Wednesday morning.
Lumumba issued several statements one day before the hearing, expressing that he did not intend for his comments to cause any confusion among the citizens of Jackson.
“Everything that we communicated was factual, and there’s nothing that I would pull back from what I said and what the effort was in that process,” he said. “I look forward to talking to the judge tomorrow and clearing up any ambiguity that may be there.”
All three officials discussed comments made at the conference in great detail during the three-hour-long hearing on Wednesday, with Lumumba clarifying that the filters were given to expecting and current mothers because of the city’s current corrosion control measures at the water treatment facilities.
“We know for several months now residents have been quarterly receiving notifications about the potential threats, based on how we treat our water… and the agents that we use in order to treat our water, the potential threats to both mothers, pregnant mothers, and mothers who have young children,” Lumumba had stated prior to the hearing.
Throughout the entire water crisis, Lumumba has updated and informed residents about the use of lime slurry and soda ash to treat water at the two water treatment plants while the city attempts to optimize corrosion control.
During the hearing, Henifin expressed that he did not agree with Lumumba’s reasoning for releasing information about the plants’ use of liquid lime and soda ash at the press conference.
“You start talking about what you’re putting in the water, and how it’s used… [it’s] way too down in the weeds,” Henifin said. “Folks can grab onto a piece of that. [That’s] not the message we should be using to rebuild confidence.”
Henifin added that he believes that the court hearing would not have been needed if Lumumba had not continued answering questions about the corrosion control measures.
“If the press conference had stopped… before he took the last question, we wouldn’t be here today,” Henifin said. “The mayor chose to address the technology, saying it’s months away, implying it’s months away from safe drinking water.”
Lumumba argued that he never indicated that there was any issue with the safety of the city’s water during his press conference, saying that the filters were handed out to eligible residents because of previous lead exceedances in Jackson’s water.
“At no time in this press conference, at no time in history have I said I believe the water is unsafe,” Lumumba stated. “Chokwe Lumumba believes our water is safe. Chokwe Lumumba does not believe the water is dangerous to children under five. Chokwe Lumumba does not believe the water is dangerous to pregnant women.”
Henifin then pointed out that the filters provided only last four months and will cost each resident $50 to replace.
Lumumba argued that although the cost to replace the filters is high, residents across the state already spend nearly the same amount per month on bottled water.
“How much [of an] expense are they bearing over the four-month period of time buying cases of water, as opposed to having a filtration device they can use to avoid that?” Lumumba questioned.
As for the current safety of Jackson’s drinking water, Henifin clarified that the city’s water quality meets all Safe Drinking Water Act standards and should not be any cause of concern for residents.
Henifin also stated during the hearing that although Lumumba’s comments were likely intended to provide clarity to the current state of the city’s water quality, it makes it more difficult for Henifin and his team to build up confidence about Jackson’s water.
“When you have a figure, the mayor by position is someone people look to for guidance,” he said. “Everything he says carries a lot more weight.”
The city of Jackson has issued the following statement in response to the court hearing:
“The city of Jackson and JXN Water share the common goal of restoring confidence in drinking water flowing from the tap. However, the Mississippi Department of Health consistently recommends that vulnerable citizens in Jackson drink filtered water. The city understands that based on current test results, some citizens feel comfortable drinking water directly from the tap, but also understands that many still prefer filtered water. JXN Water conducts extensive testing daily to ensure your water is safe to drink. Most of this testing is done right here in Jackson by highly trained Jacksonians. They care about your water because it’s their water, too!”
“It is the responsibility of JXN Water to provide high-quality drinking water and protect public health. Whether drinking water directly from the tap or through a filter, the city of Jackson wants to protect the integrity of the city’s drinking water. The city supports the progress being made by JXN Water at both the water treatment plants and within the distribution system and will continue to provide accurate information regarding the status of the city’s drinking water.”
