Mississippi governor says Jackson cannot produce water to fight fires, flush toilets

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said that there is no longer reliable water after the failure of Jackson's main water-treatment facility left much of the capital city with low water pressure.

Reeves was briefed by the state's health department and told reporters in a Monday evening press conference that it had been a "near impossibility" to hold the city's main water-treatment facility together. He said that there was a "near certainty" that Jackson would fail to produce running water in the coming weeks or months if conditions did not improve. 

"We began preparing for a scenario where Jackson would be without running water for an extended period," Reeves said.