In August 2022, over 150,000 people in Jackson, Mississippi found themselves without safe, clean water — the culmination of years of racist state policies which obstructed the city’s ability to prevent crises like this before they happen.
Instead of being able to drink the water or wash the dishes after a meal, Jackson’s residents had to deal with water outages and boil advisories, turning simple daily tasks into a struggle.
Just a few months later, Jackson residents faced another water shutoff as pipes froze and burst over the winter holidays, showing that the water crisis has yet to be fully resolved. But what happened in Jackson — a predominantly Black city — is an all too familiar story.
In the U.S., decades of policies designed to gut government have left many cities without the funds to improve and maintain water systems. As a result, communities across the country rely on aging and sometimes failing infrastructure for water, making access to clean water all too often dependent on your race, your income, or your neighborhood. And to make matters worse, the private water industry is targeting and attempting to exploit these cash-strapped communities for their profit-making schemes.
Keeping water systems accountable to the public and away from corporate control is crucial to protecting the human right to water. Now, we’re standing by our allies in Jackson who are demanding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protect the human right to safe and clean water.
Together, we are urging the EPA to maintain emergency water service, invest public funding in public water solutions instead of privatization schemes, and condemn the racist attempts by the state government to strip power from the people.
We need your voice now as our partners meet with the EPA this week to ensure that the federal government is doing everything in its power to bring justice to Jackson and not push dangerous false solutions like privatization.
Your support will show our partners that you, and thousands of people across the country, have their back as they head into this crucial meeting. Will you support us and sign the petition today?
The people of Jackson, Mississippi are still living in a state of crisis — and it’s being made worse by the racist and anti-democratic attempts by the state government to strip power from the people.
After years of inadequate investments and obstruction by the Mississippi state government, exacerbated by corporate exploitation, state officials spent the last several months following the crisis trying to undermine the autonomy of Jackson’s leaders and residents and open the door to privatization.
Most recently, the majority-White, conservative state legislature pushed a suite of bills designed to take power from the city and the residents of Jackson. One of these (now-failed) bills would have put majority state-appointed officials in control of the city’s water system, and given them the power to privatize the city’s water system.
In short, the state government has repeatedly attempted to strip power away from the people of Jackson and limit local control over its water system. This is unconscionable and the U.S. EPA must support the people of Jackson as they continue to navigate this crisis.
Corporate Accountability is proud to organize alongside a growing coalition of water justice organizations and people who are doing incredible work to protect the human right to water in the U.S. — from Flint, Michigan to Jackson, Mississippi, and beyond. And you can be a part of this powerful movement.
Your past support has helped bring Corporate Accountability’s water campaign to this pivotal moment. Now, we have an opportunity to support our allies in Jackson, Mississippi as they continue the fight for water justice. Take action today by signing our petition and demanding that the EPA do the right thing.
