Background of the Jackson Water Case
Residents of Jackson, Mississippi, sued after alleging that the city knowingly allowed them to drink tap water contaminated with lead. The lawsuit challenged conditions involving the city’s drinking water and sought to establish a constitutional basis for the residents’ claims.
5th Circuit Upholds Lower-Court Dismissal
On Friday, a full panel of judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10–5 to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of the case. The appeals court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean drinking water.
What the Ruling Decided
The decision rejected the lawsuit brought by Jackson residents who said their city knowingly allowed them to drink tap water contaminated with lead. The ruling addressed whether the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to clean drinking water and concluded that it does not.