Mississippi
Mississippi sits in the South and draws its water primarily from Mississippi alluvial aquifer and rivers. With roughly 2.94 million residents, the state has minimal formal water reuse to date, reusing an estimated 3% of its treated wastewater.
Mississippiwater quality & safety
Top violation drivers in Mississippi
| Contaminant / rule | Systems |
|---|---|
| LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS | 206 |
| Groundwater Rule | 56 |
| TTHM | 44 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 22 |
| Coliform (TCR) | 11 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | 10 |
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1 · health-based violations since 2016
Jackson's drinking-water collapse spotlighted deep infrastructure underinvestment.
On the U.S. Drought Monitor scale, Mississippi currently tracks around severe to extreme conditions. Mississippi has 990 community water systems serving about 3 million people; EPA records show 297 of them (30%) with a health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation since 2016. The pages below break down the water issues that matter most here and the communities working on solutions.
Drought history — severe+ extent
% of Mississippi in severe drought or worse (D2+) each late summer.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor (NDMC/UNL, USDA, NOAA) · latest 2026-06-09
Water use (USGS 2015)
- Per-capita (public supply)
- 157 gpcd
- Total withdrawals
- 2.7 Bgal/d
- From groundwater
- 84%
- Irrigation share
- 65.9%
- Wastewater reused (est.)
- ~3%
Primary water sources
- ≈ Mississippi alluvial aquifer
- ≈ rivers
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Mississippi?
Mississippi has 990 community water systems serving about 3 million people. EPA records show 297 of them (30%) with at least one health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation since 2016, and 10 system(s) over the federal lead action level. Most large systems meet standards; check your specific city and your utility's annual report.
What contaminants are most common in Mississippi's water?
The most frequent health-based violations involve LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS, Groundwater Rule, TTHM.
How much water does Mississippi use per person?
Public water systems in Mississippi withdraw about 157 gallons per person per day (USGS 2015), drawing 84% of fresh water from groundwater.
How bad is the drought in Mississippi?
As of 2026-06-09, 22.2% of Mississippi is in drought (D1+) and 13.2% is in severe drought or worse, per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Cities in Mississippi
6 trackedJackson
Jackson, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Gulfport
Gulfport, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
West Gulfport
West Gulfport, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Southaven
Southaven, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Biloxi
Biloxi, MS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Key issues in Mississippi
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreWater Affordability
As utilities raise rates to fund overdue upgrades, water bills are outpacing incomes — and shutoffs are hitting the most vulnerable households hardest.
ExploreLead Contamination
Millions of lead service lines still connect homes to water mains. After Flint, a national push — backed by new EPA rules — aims to rip them all out.
Explore