JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) laid out recommendations for the City of Jackson amidst the ongoing water crisis. Thompson said the city needs to be transparent about what is wrong with the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Facility.
In a one-on-one interview with WJTV 12 News, Thompson suggested that Jackson develop an actual plan to fix the water crisis.
“I think it’d be advantageous for the city to come up with a plan and share that plan with as many potential sources of help as possible,” said Thompson. “I think just saying we need help and not saying what that help entails is where the problem lies.”
Jackson City Council President Ashby Foote, Ward 1, said he agrees with the congressman.
“I think Congressman Thompson is right on. We gotta move forward. We gotta have a big plan, a plan that’s all inclusive of our situation with our drinking water, that solves it and moves forward in a way that the plants can be professionally managed and fully staffed with all the right credentialed people,” said Foote.
In a statement released in response to Thompson’s recommendations, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said Jackson has a ‘fully-outlined plan.’
It’s possible that Congressman Thompson, while protecting our democracy by holding the January 6 insurrection hearings, is simply not up to date with our frequent engagement with the leadership of several U.S. agencies and departments or the multiple requests of our lobbyist to meet with him. We look forward to sharing our fully-outlined plan – one that is supported by the expert advice of the U.S. Water Alliance and the Kellogg Foundation.
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba
WJTV 12 News asked for a copy of the plan, and we were told that a public records request would have to be submitted. We submitted a public records request for the full plan, and the city has 14 working days to respond.