Design and engineering company Stantec announced that it has been selected by JXN Water LLC to lead the analysis and design of improvements to the water distribution system serving the residents of Jackson, Mississippi.
The project is part of a federal effort to address the ongoing water crisis that has plagued the city for years. Jackson has one of the oldest water systems in the nation, which has led to an unreliable water supply. Boil-water notices have become a common occurrence and residents regularly report low water pressure.
“Access to safe, reliable, and clean water is something we expect but often take for granted,” said Pat Brown, senior program manager for Stantec. “With our global resources and our local presence in Jackson, we are committed to engineering solutions that will restore the system and provide consistent delivery to residents for decades to come.”
The project tasks assigned to Stantec include hydraulic modeling, program management, and design and construction management to help JXN Water fix existing issues in the city’s system while modernizing it for future operations.
As part of the project, Stantec’s Geospatial team is spearheading efforts to create a geographic information system (GIS) map for JXN Water from nearly 10,000 existing map sheets. Digitizing these maps will pave the way for more data-driven solutions in the future.
“Using GIS in Jackson is going to lay a solid foundation for its water system now and in the future,” said Tim Rink, principal and Geospatial discipline leader at Stantec. “It’s an honor to support JXN Water in creating this solution, especially on a very quick timeline.”
In addition, Stantec’s Water team is providing services to help JXN Water implement an asset management system, which will help manage the distribution system more effectively. The project also calls on Stantec’s Water team to engineer and source solutions for identified large-diameter waterline breaks, which will prevent the loss of millions of gallons of treated water a day.
“Stantec has jumped into action to help us address the city’s most pressing water issues,” said Ted Henifin, manager of JXN Water. “Our top priority right now is stabilizing Jackson’s water system for its residents, and the team has delivered sound expertise at every turn. I am confident that having Stantec as a partner will help us build a safer, better, more equitable water system in Jackson.”
Work on the project is officially underway with focus on immediate needs. Overall work to the system is an ongoing effort that is expected to continue for several years.
