JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the City of Jackson will receive $115 million to support water infrastructure investments.

The funding comes from a $600 million Congressional appropriation, which was part of the 2023 Federal budget.

“These funds will help stabilize and rebuild the city’s water system and make significant strides to provide reliable water service to people’s homes, schools, and businesses. As I’ve said since the onset of this crisis, we will continue to stand with the people of Jackson and work to resolve this longstanding issue together,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.

This initial $115 million award to the Jackson water system will be used to stabilize and rebuild the city’s water infrastructure. This will include identifying and fixing leaks in the distribution system, developing a system-wide assessment of valves and hydrants, ensuring adequate pumping capacity to maintain water pressure and distribution, and developing a system stabilization and sustainability plan. 

In addition to this appropriation, the City of Jackson and State of Mississippi are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in additional financial support to support water infrastructure upgrades.