Court-appointed manager of Mississippi capital water system gets task of fixing sewage problems

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The independent manager working to fix the long-troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city will be assigned to also oversee repairs to the city’s deteriorating sewer system. The order was filed Wednesday. Officials from the U.S. Justice Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the city of Jackson all agreed to give the extra duties to Ted Henifin. Jackson has had problems with its sewer system for years. A Justice Department official, Todd Kim, says putting the independent manager in charge will lead to faster steps to improve problems, including “sewage discharges that threaten public health and the environment.”