City water woes delay move-in for Jackson State students

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jackson State University is delaying students’ move-in days for on-campus housing because of lingering water system problems in Mississippi’s capital city.

The university says low pressure in the system impedes water flow to the upper floors of dormitories.

Students originally were supposed to start moving into dorms Saturday on the campus near downtown Jackson. The first move-in day has been delayed until next Thursday.

The state Health Department put Jackson under a boil-water notice in late July because of high levels of cloudiness in the water supply. The city has had recurring problems with its water and sewer system in recent years because of aging pipes and equipment.

In a news conference Monday, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, which serves the Jackson area, is “under a perpetual state of emergency.” He said parts of Jackson were having water pressure problems because two pumps malfunctioned at the plant.

Lumumba said his office is working to address the issue through routine meetings with the state Health Department and federal officials at the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Census Bureau says Jackson’s population is about 150,000, a decrease from about 173,500 in 2010.