World Water Monitoring Day: A Call to Action for Jackson’s Water Crisis Amid Climate Change
By Brooke Floyd, Co-Director of the JXN People’s Assembly
When Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis made the news some time ago, most reporters focused on how our water infrastructure, after decades of Jim Crow policies and neglect, literally collapsed leaving most residents without running water for weeks. What gets less attention is that, even as the water is flowing through our pipes most of the time, Jackson residents are still concerned about whether our water is safe to drink. This is why the Jackson People’s Assembly, in partnership with the MS Rapid Response Coalition, has distributed water testing kits to hundreds of households in our community. We cannot trust the private entity that currently oversees our water system for accurate and timely information about our water. Like many communities around the world, we monitor our water ourselves.
September 18th is World Water Monitoring Day, a day when people all over the world lift up the critical role of water monitoring in safeguarding our water systems. It is appalling that so many places, like Jackson, must navigate lack of transparency and poor community engagement on the part of the entities entrusted with our water, the very source of life.
Through my work with the Jackson People’s Assembly, and as a resident myself I’ve seen firsthand the consequences of this neglect. Jackson’s residents have been left to fend for themselves with some areas constantly bombarded with bottled water, boil water notices.
The state of city infrastructure decay is mirrored in the conditions facing Missippians across the state and throughout the South.
Toxic “forever chemicals” (known as PFAS) were recently found in 2022 evaluation of Alabama’s drinking water which saw contamination results surpassing recommended limits. Excessive PFAS exposure has been linked to increased likelihood of a range of health issues including cancer, birth defects, kidney disease, liver problems, and increased risk of asthma among several others.
In Mississippi, an August 2023 study led by Consumer Reports found test samples from more than 55% of state counties and found traces of lead, arsenic and PFAS across the sites. Today the extent of the risk facing residents across the state remains unclear due to lack of testing and negligence in the management of water services posing a significant public health risk.
Recent reports by the Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General confirm what residents have suspected all along: that the state of Mississippi has withheld funds and information so vital to repairing and finally modernizing our neglected infrastructure so that Jackson residents get the 21st century water infrastructure we deserve.
World Water Monitoring Day was established in 2003 as a global initiative to raise awareness about water quality. Residents around the world are encouraged to monitor the health of their local water systems, testing for temperature, pH, and turbidity—measures that are vital for assessing whether water is safe for consumption. The initiative empowers individuals to take control of their environment, promoting grassroots advocacy and environmental stewardship.
This year, as part of World Water Monitoring Day, we have up to 500 water filters and testing kits available to distribute across the city as a way of ensuring some level of access to information. But while these tools are essential given the current political environment, they are not the solution. The people of Jackson must be involved in shaping the future of our water system. We need a water system that is democratically run and publicly accountable, with residents having a say in how it is managed and maintained. The state must allocate the necessary resources to build a 21st-century water system—one that is safe, reliable, and accountable to its consumers – we, the residents and businesses of Jackson.
As Jackson marks World Water Monitoring Day, we are reminded that the fight for clean water is far from over. The people of Jackson have shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity, but we cannot do this alone. The threats posed by climate change make it clear that Jackson’s water crisis is not an isolated issue—it is a warning for cities across the country. The time for action is now. Let us work together to build a future where every resident in Jackson and beyond has access to the clean, safe water they deserve.
