A public health crisis in and around the city of Jackson, Mississippi, began in late August 2022 after the Pearl River flooded due to severe storms in the state.

City hospitals increased privately-owned well capacity as a response to that emergency, and as a result in the August 2022 crisis core medical services were able to continue operating with running water.

[5][6] In 2012, Jackson failed a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspection enforcing Safe Drinking Water Act standards, resulting in a November 2012 settlement requiring that the city improve maintenance.

[15] In July 2022, damage inflicted at the Curtis treatment plant forced the water utility to switch to backup pumps.

This bill was passed in December of 2022, and it was designed to lend aid to areas in the United States negatively impacted by natural disasters.

Although this funding is vital for initial action towards repair and remediation, the total cost of  fixing the system is approximately $2 billion dollars.

[18] Heavy rain fell over parts of Mississippi the week prior to the crisis, with Walnut Grove observing 12 inches (300 millimeters) of precipitation.

These storms caused flash flooding in the area, including Jackson, where Mayor Lumumba declared a local emergency on August 24.

[23] Problems with pumps at the Fewell Plant meant that the city could not use it make up for the drop in water production from Curtis while repairs were underway there.

[26] At Reeves' request, President Joe Biden declared Jackson to be a disaster area, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send resources to the city and to help pay for the response.

[27] The lack of water forced many stores and restaurants in Jackson to close,[28][29] while local schools and universities moved to virtual learning.

[30] Other Mississippi communities organized drives to donate water and other supplies to the city's residents and offered accommodations for some people displaced by the crisis.

The exception, Merit Health Central, used water brought in by trucks to remain operational, a practice it had initiated when the July boil advisory was issued.

[32] Rented pumps were used to increase water pressure, and the city considered using a contractor or retired operators to deal with a chronic staffing shortage.

[34] On September 15, Jackson's water supply was fully restored and the boil advisory was withdrawn, though the state Department of Health still advised precautions for pregnant women and children.

[37] On October 20, the City of Jackson, collaborating with the U.S. Department of Justice and the EPA, released a request for proposals for bids on the operation, maintenance, and management of the Curtis and Fewell water treatment plants, tanks and well facilities, as a one-year emergency agreement.

Governor Reeves, a Republican, started holding press conferences when the August 2022 crisis began without inviting Lumumba, the city's Democratic mayor.

[12] Michael Guest, a Republican congressman representing parts of Jackson, pushed back on such criticism by placing the blame on political gridlock among the city's leadership.

[2] Writing for the American socialist publication Jacobin, Ryan Zickgraf states that the water crisis in Jackson can be attributed to decades of austerity and capital disinvestment.

[41] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, systemic racism and oppression targeted the black community in Jackson and resulted in negligence and inaction.

[42] Because of the water contamination those impacted are more susceptible to health problems such as low fertility rates, learning disabilities, and skin diseases.

Dr. Mizelle writes, “Jackson’s water crisis has been a “slow-moving disaster,” a result of decades of anti-Blackness, environmental racism, and historical inaction.

"[46] In contrast, Jackson’s Democratic mayor,  Chokwe Antar Lumumba described Governor Reeve’s actions towards the issue as “racist” and “paternalistic.”[46] Some elected officials have pushed back on the idea that the crisis relates to environmental justice.

"[46] Another boil water advisory had to be issued in late December 2022, when a winter storm froze and burst pipes in the city distribution system.

[52] In September 2022, the NAACP accused the state of racial discrimination in funding allocation in a complaint filed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.