Residents of Jackson, Mississippi have another headache to worry about amid an ongoing water crisis -- shockingly high water bills. Though for many customers, this has been going on for years.
Virginia Evans told NBC News she's been struggling to pay off the steep balance on her account for six years. The city, which runs the water system and handles the billing, didn't help.
"They were unable to give me any information. There’s nothing they could do to help me," she said, claiming she owes nearly $6,000. Evans only uses boiled water for dishwashing, laundry, and sometimes watering plants.
The outrage came to a head last week during a community meeting, where residents of the majority-Black city complained about paying for water they can't even drink or used. One bill flashed on the screen and showed an alarming $5,154.94 due. Another billing showed a balance of over $17,000.
City Councilman Kenneth Stokes encouraged water customers to dispute their water bills as soon as possible during the tense gathering. He's also getting frustrated with state officials.
“Why should you pay for water you can’t drink? It’s not right," he said during an interview “You can’t allow [the] state to make sure water is not safe, clean, or drinkable. You can’t do that.”
The situation elevated into a crisis when flooding disrupted the city's main water processing facility in late August, leading to a state of emergency and a boil water notice for 40 days. Longtime critics argue, however, that the state of Mississippi's negligence to Jackson's aging infrastructure contributed to this problem.
The mayor's office issued a statement about the piling complaints, as well: "Inconsistent billing is due [to] water meter and billing software problems. Each issue is being handled on a case-by-case basis."
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