I really don’t think it’s as simple as you want it to be. The city government might be in charge of water treatment, but they get their funding from the state. When you try to address a societal problem without funding, you get what you pay for. The Republicans at the state level who determine Jackson’s annual budget for things, such as emergency services, road repair, education, and yes, water treatment.

So how do you square that circle, so to speak? Yes, Jackson wants to solve its water problem so people don’t have to constantly buy pallets of drinking water just so they can take a bath. No, Jackson will not be able to solve its water problem without adequate funding from the state. No, Jackson does not want to release those funds to Jackson for reasons.