The recent water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, has shed light on the stark racial inequalities in America’s infrastructure. In a city where 80% of the population is Black, residents faced weeks without access to clean water, exposing a long-standing issue of neglect and underinvestment in predominantly African American communities.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s 2021 visit to Jackson revealed the dire state of the city’s water system. At Wilkins Elementary, Regan witnessed firsthand how low water pressure left toilets unflushed and forced schools to switch to remote learning. This visit underscored the urgent need for substantial investment in Jackson’s deteriorating water infrastructure.
Despite the obvious need, Jackson struggled to secure adequate funding for its water system. The city’s shrinking and impoverished tax base made it difficult to take on the necessary loans for modernization, estimated at $1 billion. Moreover, the state of Mississippi appeared reluctant to funnel infrastructure funding to the city.
An EPA inspector general report highlighted the disparity in fund allocation, noting that “Jackson originally was awarded 82 percent less loan subsidy per capita when compared to all other disadvantaged communities” between 2015 and 2022. This unequal distribution of resources exacerbated the existing infrastructure challenges in the predominantly Black city.
The crisis culminated in a 48-day period where parts of Jackson were left without water entirely. It took this catastrophic failure for the city to finally receive $600 million in non-loan funding to address its water system issues, highlighting the systemic neglect faced by many minority communities across the United States.
See “The Jackson Water Crisis Could Have Been Avoided” (May 24, 2024)