Could 'College GameDay' make Jackson’s water system fail? Mayor urges conservation.

In the ongoing saga between Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Lumumba responded to criticism Monday from Reeves in a long, wide-ranging press conference on the steps of Jackson City Hall.

Lumumba said the city’s water system was on the precipice of failure this weekend as more than 55,000 people were in town for Jackson State University’s homecoming game against Campbell University.

He also warned that an even larger crowd coming to Jackson this weekend for JSU’s game against Southern University with ESPN’s "College GameDay" could again push the water system to the limit. Lumumba even suggested Jackson residents ration their water usage this weekend.

Lumumba also responded to comments from the governor. Last week, during a turkey pardoning ceremony, the governor called the mayor “incompetent.” He said the mayor has “irrevocably broken” the Unified Command Structure that was put in place in August when the city’s water system failed.

On Monday, Lumumba detailed the city’s challenges regarding the struggling water system that has been a national story for several months. However, the mayor was sharp in his words back at Reeves, even saying that the governor’s arguments during the process have been “bipolar.”

'College GameDay' in Jackson:7 best options for guest picker for Jackson State football, Deion Sanders

Water costs:Mississippi's bill for water crisis reaches more than $12 million

“Some days, he wants you to know that he is the savior for Jackson and its water problems. Then on other days, he wants you to know how much disdain he has for Jackson, like when he says it’s always a great day not to be in Jackson,” Lumumba said. “John Henry Clark said it best when he said, ‘I only debate with my equals. All others, I teach.’"

The governor's office did not have an immediate response to the mayor's comments.

Lumumba defended much of the criticism lobbed by the governor last week as the mayor dealt with an illness he said kept him in bed at specific points.

“If you go back in my comments, I have made no comment personally attacking the governor in any way,” Lumumba said. “He said it upset him when I talked poorly about the people of Mississippi. … What I have done is to challenge the leadership of the state in order to address the failure to fund Jackson over time.”

Lumumba also referenced Reeves’ comments that in the governor’s 19 years in public office, this is the first time he has ever had to take over a water system in Mississippi.

“What the governor failed to mention is that there are only two surface water systems in all of Mississippi, and the other one has been under conservatorship for some time,” Lumumba said. “But let’s also remember he has only been in executive office for three years. You can’t take over a water system as treasurer of the state. He is just creating a picture that is unnecessary and that is unproven.”

In other remarks, Lumumba said the city has submitted a request for proposals for an operations and maintenance contract for the O.B. Curtis and the J.H Fewell water treatment plants. The city’s proposal request included specific terms the Environmental Protection Agency asked for.

“The City of Jackson remains responsible for the funding,” Lumumba said. “The state notified us early on in the process that because it was not a reimbursable expense under FEMA, the city would have to carry the burden of the costs on our own.”

The proposals are due Nov. 7, according to the mayor, and the contract is expected to be awarded by Nov. 17.As for the treatment facilities, it was a much more difficult weekend than most people knew.

“It was touch and go,” Lumumba said. “It reminds us of the fragility of our water treatment facilities. Last week, with the support of MEMA, we were able to purchase a critical motor pump that was needed to restore the pumps on Hwy. 18.”

He said that the high consumption from this past weekend put a severe strain on the entire system.

“People in town for the Jackson State game put added pressure on our distribution system,” he said. “It shows how interdependent all of our systems are.”

In reference to the problem from last weekend with high numbers of visitors in Jackson for the JSU game, Lumumba reiterated his call for reduced water consumption.

“We are expecting a large number of people coming in this weekend as well,” he said. “We are asking that people be cognizant and considerate of their consumption. Don’t use more water than you need to use as increased demand and the pressure at our water treatment facilities could cause challenges with our water pressure.”

He said that if pressure drops enough, Jackson could again find itself in a city-wide boil-water notice.

“This is a water conservation notice of sorts,” Lumumba said. “Please just be mindful of your water consumption this weekend and weekend so that the increased demand doesn’t cause an unnecessary burden on our water treatment distribution.”