Reference no: EM133502648
Case Study: The 2022 Jackson, Mississippi, water crisis happened because the water treatment system failed as a result of flooding, which made long-standing problems even worse. About 180,000 water utility customers were under a boil water advisory for several weeks before the treatment system failed. The failure meant the city didn't have any running water for a full week in September 2022. Residents could not even flush their toilets. Since the state intervened to make emergency repairs in September, the community has experienced a chlorine leak at a treatment plant and water line breaks, which have caused people to become worried about lead contamination. The community most highly impacted by this crisis was a largely underserved community, which meant residents often did not have the resources, such as motor vehicles, to travel to get water from distribution sites and had to rely on members of the local community to distribute bottled water.
Reporting indicated that the infrastructure for Jackson has been underfunded for decades. Local and state elected officials have not prioritized investment in Jackson's infrastructure. The U.S. Justice Department said state and local authorities violated the Safe Drinking Water Act, citing 300 boil notices in 2 years, which provides a substantial risk of harm to people. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a Civil Rights Act Claim on the basis of alleged racial discrimination by the state of Mississippi, and water customers filed their own civil suits. Other allegations include state leaders blocking investment in Jackson, steering funds to majority White suburbs, and using federal funds to pay football celebrities rather than using the funds where they are most needed.
Activities
Use the internet to search for additional information about the 2022 Jackson water crisis.
As a public health nurse in Jackson, develop a summary of the incident, focusing on the factors that contributed to the water treatment system failure as well as actual and potential health impacts of that failure on the local communities. Make sure to cite your sources.
Question: Describe how the determinants of health for the underserved residents of Jackson will impact the resilience of their communities.2 citations