Jackson, Mississippi water crisis prompts lawsuit for city, Siemens

(Reuters) – Jackson, Mississippi and engineering firm Siemens Corp, which the city hired to install new water meters in 2010, have been hit with a proposed class action over the failure of a water treatment plant last month that has left residents without drinkable water.

The lawsuit, filed late Friday in Jackson federal court, also names city officials including Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, as well as Jackson-based engineering firm Trilogy Engineering Services, which was hired to work on the water system in 2015. It asks the court to order the city to make necessary repairs to the water system, and to award unspecified money damages.

Lumumba’s office declined to comment. The two companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The current crisis began on Aug. 29 when flooding knocked the O.B. Curtis Water Plant offline, cutting off running water entirely for the state capital’s approximately 150,000 residents and about 30,000 people in the surrounding area. State and federal authorities declared a state of emergency and began distributing bottled water.

The crisis came after years of problems with the water supply for the majority-Black city. An advisory to boil water before drinking because of possible contaminants had already been in place for a month, and regulators had warned of elevated lead levels as far back as 2015.

The city is already facing a class action lawsuit filed last October over those issues, with plaintiffs alleging that children were injured by the lead. That case remains in its early stages.

The new lawsuit, brought by four residents, includes similar allegations, while also focusing on the August 2022 treatment plant failure, claiming it had been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

The lawsuit also accuses Siemens of setting the stage for the problem by botching its contract, installing faulty water meters that led to uncollectable high bills and cost the city $175 million in revenue. While Jackson sued Siemens and settled for $90 million, about the value of its original contract, it was left unable to pay for needed repairs, the plaintiffs said.

Trilogy was hired to address contamination issues, but made the problem worse by recommending the use of soda ash to prevent corrosion, which tended to clump and clog pipes, the plaintiffs said.

Jackson officials announced Sept. 4 that water pressure had returned to normal, but said further setbacks were possible and continued to advise boiling water.

Litigation over contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, which saw skyrocketing lead levels in its water in 2014, ended with a $626 million settlement.

The case is Sterling et al v. City of Jackson Mississippi et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi, No. 3:22-cv-00531.

For plaintiffs: Mark Chalos of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, Robert Gibbs of Gibbs Travis and others

For defendants: not available

Read more:

Mississippi city says water pressure restored for now but setbacks possible

Biden declares emergency over Mississippi water crisis

‘A total crisis’: Life in Mississippi’s capital disrupted by water loss

Federal judge approves $626 million Flint, Michigan water settlement

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