No running water in parts of Mississippi capital as flooding hits treatment plant

White House offers help to 150,000 residents of Jackson, which has been under boil-water notice for a month

The governor of Mississippi declared a state of emergency and called in the national guard after the main water treatment facility in the state capital, Jackson, started to fail, threatening the water supply of up to 250,000 people and leaving many without running water.

Tate Reeves delivered the news a critical water treatment plant in Jackson had begun to fail on Monday evening. The announcement made official what thousands of the city's 160,000 residents already knew - that water pressure is so low it is impossible to carry out vital daily functions such as flushing toilets or taking showers.