The Jackson Urban Water Restoration & Sovereignty Act is a comprehensive policy framework designed to end the systemic water insecurity plaguing the residents of urban Jackson, Mississippi. It moves beyond temporary disaster relief to implement a permanent, high-fidelity infrastructure solution that prioritizes residential health over industrial expansion.

The Vision:

The future of Mississippi can not be built on crumbling water pipes. Access to clean water is a fundamental human right, yet for the residents of urban Jackson, it has become a luxury. Our goal is to move beyond the "Band-Aid" solution of plastic bottled water and implement a permanent, high-quality infrastructure overhaul. We are advocating for the installation of sustainable, non-leaching pipes that deliver mineral-rich drinking water directly to the taps of every home in the city’s historic core.

This proposal outlines a strategic plan to modernize the failing water infrastructure of Downtown Jackson, Mississippi. The goal is to replace antiquated, hazardous piping with a sustainable, mineral-rich distribution system that ensures long-term public health and restores municipal reliability. As the seat of state power, Jackson’s infrastructure must reflect the resilience and resource-wealth of the State of Mississippi.

A Silent Crisis: The "Southern Flint"

For years, the residents of downtown Jackson—a community that is over 80% Black—have lived in a puddle of uncertainty. While the nation watched the tragedy in Flint, Michigan, a similar catastrophe has been unfolding in Mississippi with far less national outcry.

• Infrastructure Decay: Centuries-old cast iron pipes have leached contaminants and suffered frequent breaks, leaving families without pressure or safe water for weeks at a time.

• Economic Burden: Residents already struggling with high poverty rates are forced to pay a "double tax"—paying a monthly water bill for a service they cannot use, while spending hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water.

• Environmental Racism: The systematic underfunding of Jackson’s water system is a direct result of decades of "white flight" and a shrinking tax base, coupled with a state legislature that has historically withheld the resources necessary for repair.

Addressing the Infrastructure Deficit

• For decades, the residents of the urban core—predominantly Black communities in the state’s capital—have navigated a water crisis of a scale comparable to Flint, Michigan, yet with significantly less federal and state intervention.

• The "Bottled Water Economy": The systemic failure of the municipal supply has forced a transition to a "bottled water economy." This places an undue financial burden on residents and represents a total failure of the public utility promise.

• Material Obsolescence: Current piping is characterized by leaching and high burst rates. We propose a transition to sustainable, non-reactive materials that preserve the natural mineral content of our source water without the risk of heavy-metal contamination.

The Irony of the Mississippi

There is a bitter irony in Jackson’s water scarcity. The city sits in the heart of the Mississippi River Basin, one of the most water-rich regions on the planet. To live on the banks of one of the world’s greatest freshwater systems and yet be unable to brush your teeth or bathe your children with tap water is a failure of both engineering and ethics. We are surrounded by water, yet the "pipes of the capital" remain dry or toxic. It is a striking policy contradiction that the residents of the capital city live in a state of "water poverty" while sitting in a region of global water abundance.

• Leveraging the Source: Our initiative seeks to bridge the gap between our natural wealth and our residents' taps, ensuring that proximity to the Mississippi River translates to high-quality, reliable service for all citizens.