Henifin took issue with Lumumba's comments on water safety. A judicial hearing followed
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The water is safe.
That was the message conveyed at the status hearing called by United States District Court Judge Henry Wingate to discuss comments made by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba at a June 14 press conference about the city's water system. Ted Henifin, the federally-appointed third party water administrator for JXN Water, which is now in charge of operating the city's water system, said he thought the mayor's comments may have misled the public.
At the press conference, Lumumba announced the launch of free water filters for pregnant women and women with children under the age of 5. He said the initiative was a way to restore residents' confidence in the drinking water. The mayor said the city is still "several months away" from having full confidence in the drinking water because water officials were still trying to figure out the best solution to use to treat the water: sodium carbonate, known as "soda ash," or liquid lime slurry.
Lumumba also said at the June 14 press conference that, "it hasn't been demonstrated that our water is in fact dangerous."
One of the issues Henifin had with the press conference was that handing out water filters was sending the wrong message. He said after he watched the press conference, he was left with the impression that water filters were a necessity. Wingate questioned Henifin multiple times about the safety of the water and Henifin reiterated that the "water is safe for everyone," including women who are pregnant and children under the age of 5. JXN Water routinely does tests and have found that the city's water falls within the standards set forth by the Safe Water Drinking Act, Henifin said.
In response, Lumumba said he would not apologize and stood by what he said at the press conference — that handing out free water filters was an attempt to try to restore the public's confidence. Lumumba said he never said that the water filters were a necessity. He said he personally believes that the water is safe for everyone to drink, but that the public is a little more weary. He also referred to the Mississippi State Department of Health's website which states, "Any child five years of age or younger and any pregnant woman should use filtered water (NSF53 certified filter) or bottled water for drinking and cooking."
"We will continue in our efforts of restoring confidence in any way possible," Lumumba said.
Henifin also took an issue with the mayor's comments about soda ash and liquid lime slurry — two solutions used to treat water. He said he worried that discussing the two solutions was "getting into the weeds" and that the public may think they are contaminants.
The mayor responded by saying he has talked about soda ash and liquid lime slurry on numerous other occasions and has explained what they are.
Henifin questioned the precautionary water notices that are sent out by the Mississippi State Department of Health, which he views as also sending the wrong message to the public about the safety of the drinking water. Jackson residents have been receiving monthly precautionary water notices from the health department. According to the health department's website, "these precautions remain in place until the City of Jackson makes the necessary changes required to stabilize the pH levels in its water system that contribute to corrosion."
Lumumba said he sends out the precautionary notices as required by the health department.
A joint statement from the City of Jackson and JXN Water was released after the hearing:
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"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."
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hearing over concerns Jackson MS mayor misled public on water safety
