Jacobs, the operations and maintenance partner for JXN Water, self-reported an exceedance in the utility’s Monthly Operating Report (MOR) to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). The Monthly Operating Report captures a variety of information to highlight overall water quality production.

While this exceedance was flagged on the MOR, the measurement is recorded as an interim step within the treatment process and at no time did the turbidity readings for water leaving the plant exceed Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.

In the June 2023 MOR, the O.B. Curtis individual filters exceeded the permitted turbidity limit of 0.5 NTU. Turbidity is a measure of the water’s cloudiness and shows the filtration system’s effectiveness. The turbidity exceedance resulted from impacts to treatment due to source water quality fluctuations from the Ross Barnett Reservoir and currently, limited water quality monitoring at the intake and process controls in the plant.

This exceedance is not subject to public notification requirements, however, JXN Water and Jacobs are committed to proactively communicating with water consumers to elevate awareness of the work occurring in the system.

“We are diligently working to provide the necessary design upgrades to the facility to prevent future occurrences and put temporary measures in place to address the issue in the interim,” said Tepricka Morgan, Jacobs Operational Communications & Community Engagement Lead. “While improvements are in progress, we will operate the water treatment system to achieve water quality in line with regulatory parameters and are committed to keeping the public informed of efforts.”