JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A cold front expected to push through Jackson next week shouldn’t impact the city’s two main water treatment plants.
That’s according to Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin, who says the front won’t bring sustained below-freezing temperatures. water refinery plant
“In the daytime it will be in the 40s, nighttime in the 20s. We won’t have an extended freeze,” he said. “We shouldn’t have any issues... I’m not overly concerned.”
WLBT Meteorologist Elise Uschmann says the cold weather is expected to come in Sunday following stormy weather. Temperatures will fall in the upper 20s on Sunday night, only to rebound to the upper 30s or lower 40s Monday afternoon. The same pattern will remain in place through Thursday, with the temperature falling into the low 20s some nights.
Henifin was appointed third-party manager over Jackson’s water system in November 2022. The following year, he was put in charge of the city’s sewer system.
His appointment came on the heels of a major shutdown at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Facility, leaving customers across the city without clean drinking water for days.
Today, he says the plants are in the best condition they’ve been in years, as evidenced by the January 2024 freeze.
“Last year, during the extended freeze there were no problems [at the plants],” he said. “The plants can handle it.”
Rather, he said problems in the 2024 freeze were brought about by water main breaks and an ill-timed social media post urging residents to fill up their tubs ahead of the Curtis plant being shut down for three to five hours.
The plant was never shutdown, but Henifin believes the post did put additional stress on the system due to water use.
Local law enforcement was asked to investigate the post, but nearly a year later, nothing has been turned up.
This time around, Henifin says his biggest concerns are how the cold temperatures again will impact pipes, in particular, at the city’s many abandoned properties.
He’s also wary that leaving dripping faucets running throughout the day could strain the water supply.
“With our metering, we can see where there is high usage,” he said. “We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in working with us.”
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