The History and Water Bills in Jackson

A nationwide analysis conducted by researchers at Duke University found that approximately 17 percent of households are challenged by unaffordable water services. That figure is closer to 25 percent in Jackson, Miss., which faces an ongoing water crisis.

Jackson, along with many communities, struggle with affordable water because of three trends: fragmentation of America’s water system, demographic sorting and the legacy of past choices, write analysis coauthors Lauren Patterson, senior fellow at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, and Sophia Bryson, a 2022 MEM graduate of the Nicholas School of the Environment. In an op-ed for The Clarion-Ledger, Patterson and Bryson explore these trends and discuss potential ways forward for Jackson and other communities.