Water coming from the taps in Jackson, Mississippi is a light brown. It doesn’t taste good, and appears to be unfit for human consumption. But authorities have not declared that it is ‘unsafe;’ their only caveat is that pregnant women and small children should not drink the murky liquid.

The water itself is not contaminated until it passes through ancient pipes which transfer lead into the liquid.

“Exceeding the action level does not necessarily indicate a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act; however, additional compliance measures must be met, including more frequent sampling and taking measures to mitigate the reaction of the finished water with piping, plumbing and service lines. Mitigation measures typically include implementation of flushing programs and optimizing corrosion control during the treatment process,” city authorities said.

If this sounds all too familiar, that’s because it is. The people of Flint, Michigan continue to battle with authorities to repair their city’s infrastructure.

Nearly 71 percent of Jackson’s residents are black. That figure composes more than 130 thousand of the city’s total population of more than 184 thousand. The Mayor of Jackson is Tony Yarbor, who is also a black minister; he has not commented on the situation.

I doubt if you’ll see or read about this story in the mainstream media; it’s not sensational enough to sell advertising.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

Photo Courtesy of Ken Lund

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