绿巨人视频institute supports water systems throughout Mississippi
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擶hether the water comes from one of the largest municipal water supplies in Mississippi, a rural water association serving a few dozen customers or a private well, Magnolia State citizens rely on a range of systems to access the water they need for individual, business and agricultural use. Mississippi State鈥檚 Water Resources Research Institute provides technical, financial and management support for water systems of every size across the state.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to provide assistance. We鈥檙e here to be objective,鈥 said Jason Barrett, an associate extension professor at the university鈥檚 Water Resources Research Institute. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to use our resources and partnerships to assist the people of the state.鈥
As the state鈥檚 capital city navigates an ongoing water crisis, Barrett said some of the issues facing Jackson often play out on a smaller scale in rural municipalities or in rural water systems, which often have limited resources for addressing problems.听
鈥淔rom an outsider鈥檚 perspective, a lot of the issues that we鈥檙e seeing are not conceptually uncommon to other public supplies in the state that we鈥檝e seen,鈥 Barrett said. 鈥淛ackson just happens to be the largest public utility in the state. A lot of times we see issues with very small systems, which have less than 500 connections. Those are the ones where you start to see financial constraints, which lead to management constraints and not being able to maintain assets, which can lead to poor water quality. You just start to see a downhill trend.鈥
Barrett noted that a water supply鈥檚 financial and management issues can often go unnoticed by customers for several years, but technical failures can reveal longstanding problems that have not been addressed. The Water Resources Research Institute often provides rate assessments for municipalities and water associations in addition to on-site technical assistance.
Over time, water suppliers who have had issues can rebuild trust with customers. Barrett said openness and communication about how problems are being addressed are key to restoring confidence in water supply.听
鈥淭hat trust can be earned again,鈥 Barrett said. 鈥淵ou have to build that trust by fixing what is causing the mistrust, whether it鈥檚 discolored water, poor taste or boil water notices. As you see those diminish or go away, that鈥檚 when you see that trust start to rebound.鈥
In addition to working with water suppliers, the institute also is working with childcare providers on a statewide initiative to test drinking water for lead, helping to reduce exposure among young children. It also conducts outreach to private well owners maintaining their own water systems.
For more on MSU鈥檚 Water Resources Research Institute, visit .听
绿巨人视频is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.