The city of Jackson said Friday morning that pressure at both treatment plants has “largely recovered,” and that workers have started sampling for bacteria in some parts of the city.
A press release explained that the city will be able to lift the boil water notice — which went into effect Christmas morning — by zip code, meaning that some parts of Jackson may be able to drink straight from their taps again before others.
To lift the notice in specific parts of the city, the meters in that zip code have to show at least 20 PSI, or pounds per square inch, of water pressure. Then, the city has to test for bacteria from water samples in that area, and it takes 24 hours to get those results.
On Thursday, the city began sampling for well system customers and one zip code on the surface system side, although officials couldn’t say on Friday morning which zip code that was. If the results come back clean, those residents will have the notice lifted for them later on Friday.
Officials said they expect to have pressure restored for all parts of Jackson between Saturday and Sunday, meaning the earliest the city can return clean samples and lift the boil water notice for all residents is between Sunday and Monday. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said Wednesday that his goal was to lift the citywide notice by Saturday.
The press release added that the heavy rain Friday morning has made sampling difficult but that conditions are expected to improve later in the day.
The city continues to distribute bottled water to residents. Below are the times and locations for those sites on Friday:
West Jackson:
2 p.m.
Metro Center Mall near old Dillards Loading Dock
South Jackson:
5 p.m.
Candlestick Plaza off Cooper Rd, Jackson, MS
Northwest Jackson:
5 p.m.
Corner of Northside Drive and Manhattan Road near Smillow Prep
Elderly or disabled residents seeking water delivery can call 311 or 601-960-1875.
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