Racism seen as root of water crisis in Mississippi capital

By DREW COSTLEY
AP Science Writer

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A boil-water advisory has been lifted for Mississippi’s capital, and the state will stop handing out free bottled water on Saturday. But the crisis isn’t over. Water pressure still hasn’t been fully restored in Jackson, and some residents say their tap water still comes out looking dirty and smelling like sewage. Carey Wooten says even her dog won’t drink it. Jackson’s treatment plants need billions in repairs, the mayor says. Many blame systemic racism as the root cause. The tax base plummeted after white people moved to the suburbs in response to school desegregation, and government policies denied resources to the Black and poor people who stayed in the city.