150,000 Mississippi residents deprived of drinking water

For four days, Jackson, the capital of Mississippi (United States), has been living without drinking water. Then, soldiers distribute the precious liquid to the inhabitants. “I feel like I’m playing Russian roulette. In the morning, when I wake up, I don’t know if I will have water, or what state it will be in”, regrets a woman, Friday, September 2. According to her, the problem is not new: the entire water network of the city is dilapidated.

It was a flood in a water treatment plant that started it all. The aging infrastructures did not resist. The residents were caught off guard. They are therefore numerous to have rushed on the water in the supermarkets. The shelves emptied in the blink of an eye. The situation prompted the authorities to take unexpected measures. In addition to the national guard, inmates of the nearest prison were requisitioned to help distribute drinking water.