JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Thursday, Jackson leaders announced the roll out of a water billing relief program for customers.

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 2,100 Jacksonians qualified for the People’s Relief Campaign funding.

To qualify, customers must have water or wastewater services in Jackson, have a past due balance from before December 1, 2022, and believe the bill is inaccurate.

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said more than $5 million in funds have already been given out.

“Today, what you are seeing is the collective effort of not only the administration fighting for resources in order to accomplish these goals, but you’re seeing the execution of our third-party manager, JXN Water, and Promise that are coming together to ensure that Jackson residents are taken care of,” said Lumumba.

“We’re getting people saying that they refuse to participate in this program because they’re being told not to trust what’s going to be done with their information once we get it. We are under a federal mandate. We take every single precaution to ensure that information goes nowhere aside from aside from ourselves and Promise, who helped us to reach people and get the funds to them. And it’s a severe disservice to the residents of Jackson, Mississippi, if people are telling them not to come get these funds,” stated Tariq Abdul-Tawwab with JXN Water.

Officials with JXN Water said any funding given out will not have to be paid back.

Customers can sign up online at peoplesreliefcampaign.com, call 601-374-5787 or in-person at the Water and Sewer Business Administration at 1000 Metrocenter Mall.