A Jackson woman, who was attempting to talk with someone at JXN Water’s office to get her water service turned back on, said security at the building pulled a gun on her family, and Ted Henifin, the third-party water manager, “threatened accessibility to water.”
Calandra Davis relayed the story during the Jackson City Council’s Tuesday meeting, joined by her husband and three young children. Davis said she had just returned from JXN Water’s office Tuesday morning after her water was cut off at her house for nonpayment.
She said she attempted to set up a new account, but JXN Water had trouble finding it, though they eventually did. As of Tuesday morning, she said she still did not have water on at her house, which is located on Lexington Avenue in West Jackson.
“We went there (to the JXN Water office) to ask if there was a process for speeding up the application process for when they turn off the water,” she said. “And if there was a process for speeding it up for households with elders, babies and disabled folks in the home.”
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Davis said she attempted to call JXN Water’s customer call center “several times yesterday, we called several times today.”
“We found out where the office is located,” Davis said. “We drove to it. I’m going to give the very short version, security came out before we could even get out of the car, at some point a gun was drawn on my husband while my children were there by the security guard.”
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The Clarion Ledger could not independently verify the incident. JXN Water officials declined to address it but did issue a statement on water shutoffs. Capitol Police did not respond by press time.
The address of the JXN Water office is not public information. The water company only has a 24/7 customer call service: 601-500-5200.
After, Davis said Capitol Police were called and Henifin, who was court-appointed to lead JXN Water, approached her “in really a threatening way” and said “we could get the water back on tomorrow or it could take a lot longer with the way we were acting.”
JXN Water responds with press release
A little after 2 p.m. Tuesday, and after the Clarion Ledger requested a response to Davis’ allegations, JXN Water sent a press release regarding their process for water shut-offs. Nothing in the release speaks on Davis’ allegation of a gun being pulled by security or Henifin’s alleged comments.
“JXN Water recently initiated a process to disconnect water meters serving homes and businesses that have been using water without having an active account,” the press release states. “Earlier this year, JXN Water discovered thousands of addresses with new water meters that were consuming water without an associated account, resulting in unbilled water usage. These properties, where water has been used without an account for several years, have now entered the severance process.”
Letters were sent to these addresses, the press release states, saying those without accounts need to reach out to JXN Water to set one up. It also states that “as of early this week more than 125 people have opened accounts with JXN Water after their service is disconnected.” Once an account is set up, water is restored.
The press release also addresses JXN Water’s office, which is “not open to the public, and immediate assistance cannot be provided by visiting our location.”
“To address any concerns or inquiries, please contact our call center at 601-500-5200,” the press release states. “We are committed to responding to your needs and restoring the water service as quickly as possible. JXN Water is committed to collecting payment for all water used by all customers. Everyone must pay their fair share to ensure safe water is available for all customers all the time.”
Lumumba responds to Davis’ allegations, plans community meeting
Immediately after Davis stopped talking, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the city doesn’t “condone the use of any threat of violence to residents who are simply trying to get answers to the issues pertaining to their water.”
The mayor said he plans to have a community meeting to talk about the future of Jackson’s water system. He said he decided to host the meeting after “hearing day after day” about residents frustrated with their water bills. He did not give a specific date of when the meeting will take place.
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“A part of that community meeting is also re-envisioning where we go from here,” Lumumba said. “The time is swiftly approaching on us where we talk about what is the next step in this process and I want to see community members there to be a part of the discussion and the formation of where we go from here.”
The U.S. Department of Justice stepped in and appointed Henifin to oversee the system in November of 2022 during the Jackson water crisis, but his receivership ends in 2027. It’s unclear what will happen after Henifin leaves. Will the water system be returned to the city or will another entity take it over? The past years have seen the Mississippi state Legislature attempt to get involved, but those have been unsuccessful.
Further, Lumumba suggested there has not been an accurate portrayal in the media of JXN Water, as opposed to how the city was portrayed when it was in charge of the water system.
“Just as the media was very in tune of the challenges that was going under the city’s leadership, we need you to get a fairer narrative of where this is with the community right now,” Lumumba said. “Regardless of whether they (JXN Water) pay for $1 million worth of comms (communications) in order to push the narrative, while at the same time not paying the City of Jackson the money that we need just to handle garbage services.”
Lumumba was referring to an ongoing back-and-forth between the city and JXN Water over if the water company is collecting enough money from sanitation bills to support all of the city’s garbage services.
“And so when things like that are being impacted, we need to make sure that there is a fair narrative universally when we talk about what has happened with JXN Water,” Lumumba said, adding that he hoped to see Davis there and knew she was “community oriented.”
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Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks asked to archive all of the residents who have come to a council meeting to give public comment on frustrations with JXN Water, which has occurred at the last two council meetings.
After Lumumba and Banks, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes asked “Ma’am, how do we help you get your water on?”
Davis said JXN Water said her water could be turned on “today or tomorrow,” but she was unsure what to do.
Lumumba said he was going to follow up with Davis on getting her water turned back on, but also wanted her to talk with Jackson Police Department’s Chief of Police Joseph Wade about the security guard allegedly pulling the gun.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson woman claims gun was pulled on her by JXN Water security
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