A federal court Thursday halted, for now, a rate increase the manager of Jackson’s beleaguered water and sewer systems has for months said is necessary to keep the utility afloat.

U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate said he needed more time to make a decision, adding he would have an update on the matter by the next hearing on Nov. 19.

JXN Water also received news Wednesday that Congress approved to set aside $54 million for daily operations, Ted Henifin, the manager of the third-party utility, said. Lawmakers had already awarded the funds to the city, but initially did so only for capital projects.

Since 2022, the utility has made relatively fast strides improving water pressure throughout Jackson as well as repairing burst sewer lines across the city. Moreover, for the first time

See Full Page