Kurt D. Engelhardt

Divided Fifth Circuit finds no constitutional right to clean water in Jackson case

Mississippi’s Jackson water system remains a crisis for residents, with lead contamination and mismanagement highlighting a long-delayed need for upgrades as litigation alleges harm from tainted water and misleading boil notices. A federal appeals court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean drinking water or to truthful information from officials, effectively dismissing the residents’ constitutional claims, though debates over accountability and remedies persist.