Public statement - City of Jackson water impact on UMMC
Published on Tuesday, August 30, 2022
By: Patrice Guilfoyle, (601) 984-2841 or pguilfoyle@umc.edu
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s main campus at 2500 N. State St. in Jackson, and the Lakeland Medical Building near the main campus at 764 Lakeland Dr., are connected to a well-water system and not impacted by the City of Jackson water crisis. Water quality for those facilities is not affected.
There are no disruptions to normal operations, including all patient care, on the main campus and at the Lakeland Medical Building. Patients who have an appointment at the main campus or Lakeland Medical Building should keep that appointment. If for some reason a patient is not able to appear for their appointment, the patient is asked to please call that clinic or location as soon as possible to let them know.
There is some impact to patient care operations at Jackson-based UMMC facilities not on the main campus. Patients who have an appointment at an off-campus location listed below should contact that clinic to confirm that they should appear at their scheduled time and location. In some cases, appointments are being moved to another location. Portable restrooms have been made available for locations that continue to operate but are experiencing low water pressure.
UMMC facilities impacted:
- Jackson Medical Mall
- Select Specialty Hospital
- Batson Kids’ Clinic
- The Center for Advancement of Youth
- Buildings LB and LA on Lakeland Drive
The Jackson Medical Mall air conditioning is not functioning properly, at this time, because the water pressure feeding its chillers is too low. A water tanker was to arrive late this morning to feed that system, and it should be operational by early afternoon.
Yesterday, a Fire Watch was declared for UMMC Jackson-based facilities, including the main campus and Lakeland Medical Building, because fire suppression systems are fed by the city water system. Low pressure in the systems may cause them to be less effective.
UMMC will continue to evaluate the impact the City of Jackson water crisis is having on its facilities. The Medical Center will take a day-by-day approach to operations located at the facilities listed above. Until further notice, patients should call to confirm appointments at any of those locations.