"Lord willing and the creek don't rise" - The Elders What happens when the creek really does rise? Who actually has to build the bridge over troubled water? Winona, Mississippi resident Rebecca Washington and her neighbors have had to face this question for over a year as they petition the city to assist in solving a recurring issue with the sewer overflow flooding their homes. ‘Sipp Talk went to Winona to learn more and give y’all The Rundown.
Beginning a little over 6 years ago, Rebecca Washington reported that she noticed water would backflow into her kitchen and bathrooms during heavy rains and eventually thought a home renovation would solve her issues.
In 2021 she completed her renovation, but shortly after, she realized the sewer water would seep through her floorboards in every room of her home. Her neighbors also began noticing similar problems and discovered that the creek behind their properties was connected to a sewer that ran under their homes. After several months of public outcry from several residents and despite being displaced from her home, Washington has not given up hope that city officials will pull through for her and her community.
With over 200 signatures in a town of only roughly 4,500 residents, Washington’s neighbors are adamant about bringing change to their community. She is not the only person being affected by this issue and wants to see it resolved not only, to reclaim her home, but also to ensure that this issue won’t impact future residents.
On September 15th, 2023 this story was reported by WTVA of Columbus, MS. Washington was quoted saying, “I can’t breathe in there even with two masks and a towel…” when asked about how the sewage was impacting her health. After several months of living in local hotels and a battle for assistance from the city, Winona officials submitted reports to Washington’s insurance company resulting in a no-fault ruling in the city’s favor. Despite requesting a copy of the reports Ms. Washington and her family have been denied access to the public records related to her case. This fact was alarming because it was made known that Winona was also currently being audited by state officials, a fact first reported by WTVA.
Fast forward to the current day and this issue is yet to be resolved. On July 25th, 2024 at 6:00 PM, Winona residents held a meeting facilitated by the NAACP to help guide residents into an organizing body that could offer assistance with grievances such as those Ms. Washington brought forward.
While attending the meeting I learned more about how pervasive this water issue is and discovered some appalling information. The residents expressed concerns about the use of funding and other grievances with the current mayor’s use of power to silence their demands for accountability. Ms. Washington became emotional as she recounted, "I've lived in my home for over 30 years, raised my children and their children here and I'm just so tired." Having lost so many of her possessions and memories destroyed is what she says is her "biggest struggle" with this entire process.
As of October 21, 2021, the U.S Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency announced that $3.7M for water infrastructure would be granted to Winona in conjunction with an additional $1.2M in State and Federal funds to help bolster the region’s economy and build a more resilient community. Currently, residents say that their water is still unsafe and that these developments have only benefited economic areas or parts of town with white residents while they are experiencing water that leaves ‘brown rings’ on their clothing and has a smell described as ‘raw sewage’.
After listening in this meeting for over an hour I left with more insight into the ways small-town politics can have lasting impacts on a community’s sense of hope for the future as they face obstacles against growing and thriving.
Across Mississippi, we are seeing more communities face issues with infrastructure and access to public resources like clean water. The State’s Capitol was the face of infrastructure failure during the 2022 Jackson Water Crisis which left roughly 150,000 without safe water. As we see across the state, these systemic issues are showing up in every corner of Mississippi. We should all be aware of issues like this and keep our ears to the streets and eyes to the hills as we work towards a better, healthier, safer, Mississippi built for and by Mississippians.
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EDA Press Release: here
WTVA Article here: here
More info found here: research
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