— Jackson grocery stores are stocking up on bottled water on the heels of a water warning from the mayor.
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and other city leaders said Wednesday that pregnant women and children younger than 5 should drink only filtered or bottled water.
Jerry Hayman, the manager at the CashSaver on Raymond Road, has ordered extra water shipments in response.
“I have a full truck to be here tomorrow — an extra delivery.
I don’t usually get a truck on Friday, but they have it ready for me,” Hayman said.
Hayman said when water warnings are issued, stores can sell up to three times more water than usual.
“You go from a gallon of water selling a pallet in two days to selling three pallets in two days,” Hayman said.
The city recently learned from state health officials that the water system is not maintaining the chemical balance needed to prevent lead and copper pipes from corroding, officials said.
Lumumba said no lead has been detected in city pipes.
City officials said they occasionally violated acidity standards between January and June.