Winter weather upends water systems across the Deep South

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A cold snap blanketing the Deep South has upended water systems as local officials struggle to repair widespread leaks and broken pipes, forcing some people to take drastic measures to get by without reliable access to running water.

Breakdowns in infrastructure arose in rapid succession after days of freezing temperatures in areas where extended periods of frigid weather are abnormal.

The water woes are acute in places like Jackson, Mississippi, where the water system partially collapsed in late August and has had repeated weather-related breakdowns. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the city is dealing with a “worst case scenario” on Tuesday.

Lumumba declared a local state of emergency Monday evening as Jackson's troubled water system failed to produce adequate pressure because of broken and leaking pipes. Crews have spent days working to identify leaks, but city officials said pressure remains low or nonexistent. The Environmental Protection Agency is assisting with the effort to repair broken water lines, Lumumba said.

“We are dealing with an old, crumbling system that continues to offer challenge after challenge,” he said.

Tekemia Bennett said she hasn't had any water since Friday. She and her four children woke up with no water on Christmas day.

“Christmas was very much like the Grinch came and stole it. I could not cook for my children. It was more like we were in survival mode," Bennett said.

People flocked to water distribution sites set up by the city, but the lines were "as long as the eye could see,” Bennett said. She got on line two days in a row before eventually giving up.

Flushing a toilet without any pressure requires large quantities of water, a hot commodity in Jackson. So she began to cover her toilet bowl with plastics...