Mississippi chef warns restaurants may not survive Jackson water crisis: 'Something has to be done'
CEO of Nick Wallace Culinary Nick Wallace on the impact of the water crisis on Jackson, MS restaurants
A prominent Mississippi chef fears Jackson's clean water crisis could have a devastating impact on the local restaurant industry as businesses struggle to stay open.
"We have so much talent here in Jackson. We need to focus and get them as much support as possible," Mississippi native Nick Wallace told "Fox & Friends" Monday.
"It really sucks in a way, because we have so many outstanding restaurants that possibly can't survive for the next year or two years when they're affected by the water… something just has to be done."
Wallace, a standout on popular food competition shows like "Chopped" and "Top Chef," is CEO of Nick Wallace Culinary in Jackson, where he said restaurants are being forced to spend "hundreds of dollars daily" to survive without clean water.
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, RESIDENTS FILE LAWSUIT OVER WATER CRISIS
"I could spend upwards of $500 a day," he said. "Think about staffing, think about cost of goods. You know, think about the lights being on… So it hurts."
It’s been over five months since the Pearl River crested and Jackson’s water system failed. Now, crews are working to replace the pipe system, but families and businesses are prepared to go without water periodically for up to 10 years.
Residents filed the first federal class action lawsuit over the contamination and failure of the city's water system in September 2022. The complaint notes that even before the water system failed in August, Jackson’s water supply was not fit for human consumption due to the high levels of lead and other contaminants.
A line of cars snakes past several city blocks as workers with the Mississippi Rapid Response coalition hand out bottled water to Jackson, Miss., residents on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. People in Mississippi are without running water after winter weather has led to frozen pipes and line breaks, upending the city's already troubled water system. ((AP Photo/Michael Goldberg))
"The infrastructure has been bad throughout so many years," Wallace said. "I've been working actively in Jackson for about 20 years now. A boil water notice has always hit every now and again. And when it hits, it hurts."
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"When we've got to close, that affects my staff that I dearly love and the guests."
"We should not be worried" about clean water, he concluded.
Fox News' Joy Addison and Julia Musto contributed to this report.
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