Jackson, Mississippi water system is failing; city will be with little to no drinking water indef.

This is what happens when the citizens are willing to pay more for their data plan than they are for clean, safe drinking water. Utilities around the country are underfunded because feckless politicians are unwilling to raise the rates to reflect the cost to build and maintain the systems. Same for wastewater.

 

Someone had to do the "people aren't paying enough for their water because of their iPhones" take, congrats lol. The people they are protecting from paying are rich people and corporations, not people with data plans. I would bet anything that in Mississippi, the poorest pay the most in terms of portion of their income in utility bills and state/local taxes.

 

I would be surprised at the end of the day if this were solely a city management issue. Obviously I don't know the particulars of Jackson Mississippi, but that would be highly unusual if that were the case.

Wastewater treatment is by definition a system that usually implicates resources to go outside the strict city boundary. Also most states heavily regulate their utilities. Finally, it's unclear how much flexibility the city has in its tax base. It's typical for suburbs to free ride on many city systems and set their own separate tax base and separate services where it pleases them without contributing to the city which is the economic engine and basis for the suburb. I would also expect to see aspects of that segregated system when this is all known.

I'm waiting for the classic longform. Until then I'm reserving judgment

 

I’m placing it in “If it happened in California…”

 

utility bills aren't income dependent therefore your argument makes no sense. use more water, pay higher bill, just like gasoline, electricity, food, or anything else that is consumed..... Before you continue to show your ignorance, I ran a water/sewer utility for a number of years so you are out of your league here. The only people being protected are the ones pandering for votes by keeping the bills below what it takes to properly run a utility.

 

They do have water issues, but that's more of a climate thing

 

Whether your utility bill is $50 or $200 based on usage its going to be a bigger portion of your income the smaller your income is, that's just how math works!

 

I know. I live in California. I was referring to how the cons on this board would react if a city here went without water or flushable toilets.

 

Because our daughter lives in LA, we watch LA news every day. With the current heat wave, they were saying there may be brief power interruptions this weekend. I'm waiting for the right wing talking points that this exculpates Texas

 

utility funding is typically based on consumption and independent of any tax rates (just like electricity) so the source of consumption and location of the facilities isn't really relevant to the funding. utility rates sometimes have to be approved by the PSC of that state but many states allow municipalities to set their own rates independent of PSC review. As such, it becomes a political issue that politicians avoid like the current need to raise the gas tax to fund road maintenance

 

no doubt, but you don't get cheaper gasoline because you make less money or cheaper food or cheaper cable or cheaper anything just because you earn less. WTH would you get cheaper water/sewer because you earn less? what other commodity is priced based on your income level besides subsidized housing?

 

I agree generally, but it's unclear exactly where the missing personnel are supposed to work at. Also, even though utilities are supposed to be self-supporting based on fees, there is almost always overlap with tax paid municipal positions, especially those that serve multiple entities. At least there is in Tampa.

Does Mississippi have a Public Service Commission? I acknowledge I don't know the particulars here, but the piece seems to say that it involves nothing more than local officials failing to address unfilled personnel slots with absolutely no involvement from the state level. That just strikes me as inherently unlikely. Of course, it may be just that. I don't know. But it didn't sound right just based on general knowledge of local governance models

 

You picked a good fight. Jackson Mississippi mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says they are the most radically left city in America. So let me get this straight. You have a radical left city government, you have a Democrat POTUS but the water shortage in Jackson is the Governor's fault??????????????? Tell me another story that one was funny and I need a good laugh.

 

Why should things like clean water (water!) be based on your ability to pay or market forces? You should take a look at what happened when they privatized water in South American countries.

 

It appears that in Mississippi, all utilties are subject to PSC rate reviews. A rate increase is only granted if requested though and it takes a bit of work to document the need for a rate increase. I've been involved in 2 in Florida and it took us months to assemble all the documents for the PSC hearings.

Microsoft Word - Service Renumbering.doc (ms.gov)
125. REPORTS TO COMMISSION Each utility shall at such times and in such form as the Commission may reasonably prescribe report to the Commission any information contained in the utility's records pertaining to the business and operations over which the Commission has jurisdiction. Each utility shall submit immediately upon publication one copy of the latest annual report to stockholders and any annual financial or statistical report regularly prepared and distributed to bond-holders, security analysts or industry associations. Reports for operating companies and for holding companies are to be included. Each utility, the rates of which are subject to regulation by the Public Service Commission, shall file annually reports showing all its expenditures for business gifts and entertainment, and institutional, consumption-inducing and other advertising or public relations expenses which the utility claims should be allowed for rate-making purposes.** *Rule 3, A., as amended, by Order of the Commission in Docket U-5092, effective August 1, 1988. Rule 3, A. is now known as Rule 3.100. (renumbering 2011). **Rule 3. F., as amended, by Order of the Commission in Docket U-4408, effective February 2, 1984. Rule 3. F. is now known as Rule 3.125. (renumbering 2011).

 

No doubt, but how does that work in application? Look no further than the FPL scandals here. And what is it have to do with this particular issue? Actually, I think I understand. You're indicating that there is a Public Service Commission in Mississippi. I'm a little slow on the uptake.

But I'm still not sure how to examine "blame" for the failure. Again, the only link piece says that it was failure to fill a couple of positions, which seems to me to be overly simplistic. Could be true, but doesn't seem like it would be

 

here are current Jackson rates. they do discount rates for comapnies investing in and employing people within the city limits. don't agree with those subsidies as it puts more burden on the individual consumers

ARTICLE III. - FEES AND SERVICE CHARGES | Code of Ordinances | Jackson, MS | Municode Library
Sec. 122-234. - Methods of determination; rates of charge generally.

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Sewer service charges for the use of the city sanitary sewage system shall be in accordance with the following: There shall be two classes of charges: one being a volumetric charge and the other being a surcharge for excessive strength of wastewater. These charges shall apply to all users of the city sanitary sewage system, as provided in section 122-232.

(1)

Volumetric charges. Volumetric charges will be determined as follows:

a.

The volumetric charge will be determined by the water meter reading, or at the user's option, the user may furnish metering devices approved by the approving authority for measuring wastewater discharged into the city sewer system. This will apply to those users of the city sanitary sewer system who purchase all water from the city or other water utility. Those users having private wells or other sources of water supply shall install either water meters on the wells or other sources of water supply or approved metering devices on wastewater discharged to the city sewers. The schedule of sewer service charges, on a volumetric basis, is as follows: Each customer shall be charged $4.47 per 100 cubic feet of meter water consumption when the monthly water consumption is greater than the minimum amounts described in section 122-235.

b.

Notwithstanding subsection (1)a. of this section, any business utilizing sewer services provided by the city shall pay a reduced volumetric charge of its sewer usage at the follow rates:

1.

If the business makes a capital investment of $75,000,000.00 or more, and either employs at least 75 employees or uses a daily average of 133,000 cubic feet of water, it shall receive a 25 percent reduction in its water charges.

2.

If the business makes a capital investment of at least $50,000,000.00, but less than $75,000,000.00, and employs at least 50 employees, it shall receive a 20 percent reduction in its water charges.

3.

If the business makes a capital investment of at least $25,000,000.00, but less than $50,000,000.00, and employs at least 25 employees, it shall receive a 15 percent reduction in its water charges.

4.

If the business makes a capital investment of at least $10,000,000.00, but less than $25,000,000.00, and employs at least 25 employees, it shall receive a ten percent reduction in water charges.

c.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow any business to obtain the reduction in rates set forth in subsections (1)b.1. through (1)b.4. of this section for a period in excess of ten years, and such ten-year period is the maximum period during which the reduction in rates shall apply.

d.

Prior to qualifying for the rate reduction set forth in subsections (1)b.1. through (1)b.4. of this section, a business seeking such reduction shall be required to enter into an agreement with the city reciting that the business has met one of the conditions of subsections (1)b.1. through (1)b.4. of this section.

 

Here is your mayor of a Jackson Mississippi since 2017…

Chokwe Antar Lumumba (born March 29, 1983) is an American attorney, activist and politician serving as the 53rd[1] mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.[2]

Chokwe Antar Lumumba - Wikipedia

I know it is wiki but how many politicians have activist in their description lol…

 

this is a long standing problem that is going to require more funding than the entire amount allocated to the state.

@tampagtr , it appears that they do comingle tax funds with consumption based revenue but this just demonstrates how woefully underfunded the utility is. I guess it was easier to implement a sales tax than go through a rate increase hearing


GOP repeatedly opposed infrastructure upgrades. Now Mississippi's capital has no safe water (msn.com)

In an effort to improve its aging infrastructure, Jackson voters in 2014 approved a 1% sales tax increase, but that levy raises just $13 million in annual revenue—a small fraction of the $1 billion Lumumba says the city needs to fix its water system.

and from 2021

Under the Surface, Part 1: Jackson Residents Struggle from Neglected Water System (mississippifreepress.org)

After the disaster press event, Lumumba speaks to the Mississippi Free Press directly, lamenting the halting, bitter communication between the City of Jackson and the State that followed the two freezes of Feb. 15 and 17.

“There is a gap as large as the Grand Canyon in terms of people’s perception of the work being done, often depending upon the demographic makeup of those communities …,” the mayor says. “The reality is the City of Jackson invests millions of dollars into our water infrastructure each and every year.”

Only a week earlier, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann casually revealed to the Mississippi Free Press that there had been zero contact between himself, other legislative leaders, and either Gov. Tate Reeves or Mayor Lumumba to coordinate a response to the Jackson water crisis, though the catastrophe had just entered the third week by then.

During the exchange, Hosemann displayed an impatient disdain for the capital city’s leadership that many in the state found uncomfortably familiar when he complained that recent decades had brought little improvement. “You remember during Kane Ditto’s administration, he did repair work on water and sewer. So what happened since then?” Hosemann said.