JACKSON, Miss.—Jackson residents could see a nearly 12% rate increase on their water bills as early as June to make up for dwindling federal funds, JXN Water Interim Third Party Manager Ted Henefin says.
The average customer’s bills could go up close to $9 a month on average.
Henifin spoke in front of the Jackson City Council on Tuesday during their regular meeting at City Hall, proposing that the rate hike is necessary to cover the day-to-day operating costs of the City’s water system and to continue paying down the City’s water bill debt.
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A federal judge appointed Ted Henifin (left) in November 2022 to oversee operations of the water system in the City of Jackson in November. He is seen here in January 2023 with Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba (right). Photo by Nick Judin ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1″ onerror=”if (typeof newspackHandleImageError === ‘function’) newspackHandleImageError(this);” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1″ alt=”Ted Henifin and Chokwe A. Lumumba speaking” class=”wp-image-30199″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin-1024×683.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Henifin-and-Lumumba-1-5-23-1_cred-Nick-Judin-1024×683.jpg?w=400&ssl=1 400w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>JXN Water Interim Third Party Manager Ted Henifin, pictured here (left) during a 2022 press conference with Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba (right), told the Jackson City Council on April 8, 2025, that federal funding to stabilize and repair the capital city’s water infrastructure is running out. Henifin proposed a 12% water utility rate increase to cover the costs of continued operations. Photo by Nick Judin
The federal funding that Congress allocated for the City of Jackson to stabilize its water infrastructure, bring it into compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and rebuild it for future operations will run out this month, Henifin explained.
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“The reason I’m here today in front of you is the longstanding history of underfunding water and sewage here in the City of Jackson,” he said. “We’re coming to request enough money to keep sewage off the streets and keep water available for everyone all the time.”
Under the federal
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