Winter weather upends water systems across the Deep South

FILE - This aerial view shows the city of Jackson's O.B. Curtis Water Plant in Ridgeland, Miss., Sept. 1, 2022. A cold snap blanketing the Deep South has upended water systems as local officials struggle to repair widespread leaks and broken pipes, forcing some people to take drastic measures to get by without reliable access to running water. Officials have encouraged people across the South to drip faucets during the prolonged cold snap because water moving through pipes is less likely to freeze. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

A cold snap blanketing the Deep South has upended water systems as local officials struggle to repair widespread leaks and broken pipes, forcing some people to take drastic measures to get by without reliable access to running water.

Breakdowns in infrastructure arose in rapid succession after days of freezing temperatures in areas where extended periods of frigid weather are abnormal.

The water woes are acute in places like Jackson, Mississippi, where the water system partially collapsed in late August and has had repeated weather-related breakdowns. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba declared a local state of emergency Monday evening as its troubled water system failed to produce adequate pressure because of broken and leaking pipes.