JACKSON, Miss. (AP) The water pressure at James Browns home in Jackson was so low the faucets barely dripped. He couldnt cook. He couldnt bathe. But he still had to work.

The 73-year-old tree-cutter hauled bags of ice into his truck at a gas station on his way to a job Wednesday after several days without water.

What can I do? Im just a pawn in a chess game, he said, on one of multiple trips to and from the store. All Ive got to do is just try and live.

People waited in lines at distribution sites and flooded stores for water to drink, bathe, cook and flush toilets Wednesday in Mississippis capital amid the failure of the the city water system after flooding exacerbated longstanding problems in one of two water-treatment plants.

President Joe Biden , who the day before approved an emergency declaration for the state of Mississippi, called Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba to discuss response efforts, including support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Beyond addressing the immediate crisis, Biden said he wants to provide federal support for the longer term effort to rebuild Jacksons aging water infrastructure, which has been unreliable for years.

Lumumba said Jacksons water system is troubled by short staffing and decades of deferred maintenance. He said the influx of water from torrential rain changed the chemical composition needed for treatment, which slowed the process of pushing water out to customers.