The University of Mississippi Lead in Drinking Water Project

Childhood lead poisoning is a challenging social issue that requires the coordination of health, housing, and environmental law and policy. There is no safe blood level for lead, and all sources of lead exposure for children should be controlled or eliminated. The National Sea Grant Law Center is part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Mississippi seeking to assess and raise awareness of the contribution of lead pipes and water treatment to lead poisoning in Mississippi through community-based research, education, and outreach. To date, the team has focused on lead in drinking water issues in both the Mississippi Delta and Jackson area.

Lead in Drinking Water Forum: Oct. 5, 2022

The University of Mississippi is hosting a Lead in Drinking Water Forum to raise awareness among policy-makers, organizational leaders, and stakeholders of the risks of exposure from lead in drinking water in Mississippi. During the one-day Forum, presenters will share data, research findings, and potential solutions related to lead in drinking water in Mississippi and participants will develop actionable policy recommendations to address gaps and mitigate risk.

Download the Forum on Lead in Mississippi Drinking Water Agenda

Public Water System LCR Exceedances

This map identifies the public water systems in Mississippi reporting 90th percentile concentrations of lead over 5 ppb for the reporting period ending December 2022.

The Lead in Water Blog Series

The Lead in Water Blog Series is a 5-part look at the UM Lead in Drinking Water Project. The UM Lead Project Team conducts research with various community partners to provide testing, outreach, and research data on lead in drinking water in the Mississippi Delta. Click a link below to find out how we’re working to increase access to clean drinking water in a community near you.

1. Lead in Water Series: Meet the UM Team
2. Lead in Water Series: Community Engagement
3. Lead in Water Series: Research in Our Communities
4. Lead in Water Series: MSDH Referral Program
5. Lead in Water Series: The SipSafe Program

Current Projects

MSDH Referrals
The Mississippi Department of Health and the UM Lead in Drinking Water Project are working together to provide additional household water testing to the families of children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels.

Childhood Lead Poisoning

MSDH Lead Poisoning Prevention

SipSafe Program
The UM Lead in Drinking Water Project is collaborating with Mississippi State University Extension to carry out the SipSafe Program to the Mississippi Delta. Under this program, we provide complimentary lead in water testing to facilities where children under six are present and educational materials on protecting communities from lead exposure.

Project Reports & Articles

Otts, S., et. al., Water System Challenges in the Face of Population Declines: The Jackson, MS Experience, Online Journal of Rural and Urban Research. p. 39-55. (Spring 2022).

Farmer, William, Examining Public Water Systems Servicing Schools and Childcare Facilities to Inform Policy: A Study of Lead Exposure in the Mississippi Delta, Undergraduate Honors thesis, under the direction of Dr. Kristie Willett, UM School of Pharmacy (2021).

Willett, Kristine, Stephanie Showalter, Catherine Janasie, Josephine Rhymes, Kennedy Dickson, and John Green, An Interdisciplinary Approach to Community-Engaged Research Surrounding Lead in Drinking Water in the Mississippi Delta. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 36(1): Article 3 (2021).

Hopper, Donald, Lead in Drinking Water and the Effectiveness of Point-of-Use Filtration, Undergraduate Honors thesis, under the direction of Dr. Cristiane Surbeck, UM School of Engineering (2020).

Fratesi, Mary Alexandra, Community-Based Research Methods to Inform Public Health Practice and Policy: The Case of Lead in the Mississippi Delta. Undergraduate Honors thesis, under the direction of Dr. John Green from Center for Population Studies, University of Mississippi (2018).

S. Otts & C. Janasie, National Sea Grant Law Center, How Safe is the Water?: An Analysis of the Lead Contamination Risks of Public Water Supplies in the Mississippi Delta (Dec. 2017).

News + Media Coverage

Erica Hensley, Mississippians work to reduce childhood lead exposure as state, feds fail to intervene, Southerly, October 5, 2021.

Erica Hensley, Tap water could be linked to dangerous lead levels in Jackson’s kids. Mississippi isn’t keeping track, Southerly, April 28, 2021.

Erica Hensley, How Many Mississippi Kids are Poisoned by Lead?, Massive Undercounts, Inconsistent Testing Provides Officials Few Answers, Mississippi Today, June 24, 2020.

Episode 4 of Mississippi Born, Delta Raised podcast:

Water Quality Challenges in Jackson, MS

In 2018, the UM Lead in Drinking Water Team received funding from the UM Community Wellbeing Constellation to work with the Foundation for the Mid-South and the Jackson Water Coalition to support their efforts to improve water quality and infrastructure in Jackson, Mississippi. As part of this project, we held two lead in drinking water education and sampling events and developed outreach materials to share project data and raise awareness.

View Story Map

Funders

Initial financial support was provided by the University of Mississippi through an Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Investment Grant. Additional financial support was provided by the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute and U.S. Geological Survey under award number G16AP00065. In 2018, the Project Team received seed funding from the University of Mississippi Community Well-being Constellation to expand the geographic scope of the project to Jackson, MS. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Mississippi, MWRRI, or USGS.