The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has expanded the current contract with Hemphill Construction to ensure operations and maintenance work continues at Jackson water facilities.
Hemphill Construction, a Florence-based business, was first awarded over $1 million for a 60-day contract to facilitate the response at the O.B. Curtis water treatment plant in September.
Now, Hemphill will be required to continue work at the capital city’s water facilities until a third-party vendor is selected to serve as Jackson’s primary water treatment contractor.
“As responses to our Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) requests have diminished, MEMA, a part of the Unified Command, has secured the expansion of our current Hemphill contract,” MEMA Executive Director Stephen McCraney stated. “This ensures operations and maintenance work continues at the Jackson water treatment facilities until a third-party vendor is selected.”
Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Health, and the City of Jackson are in the process of scoring bids made by water operators with the intention of selecting a contractor.
Lumumba denies Reeves’ announcement that Jackson is refusing to select third-party water operator