Infrastructure Social Media Law Enforcement News

"Mississippi Capital's Water Pressure Woes Linked to Online Misinformation, Investigation Underway"

Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether social media rumors about a potential water outage prompted people to quickly fill bathtubs with tap water in Mississippi’s capital, causing a drop in pressure that temporarily made faucets run dry for thousands of customers. JXN Water, the private corporation overseeing Jackson’s water system, blamed a "deliberate misinformation campaign" for the spike in demand. The organization did not specify which law enforcement agencies are involved or what charges might be brought if people are found to have spread false information on social media. The latest disruption in Jackson water service came a week after Mississippi health officials issued and then quickly lifted a health advisory after tests identified E. coli in the water supplies of Jackson and a suburb.