Appeals Court Rules Constitution Does Not Guarantee Right to Clean Water in Jackson, Mississippi Case
Fifth circuit court of appeals upholds dismissal of lawsuit brought by Jackson residents who said tainted drinking water violated their constitutional rights.
A federal appeals court has ruled that the US Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean water, upholding the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by residents of Jackson, Mississippi, over the city's long-troubled drinking water system.
The fifth circuit court of appeals issued the decision on Friday, according to The Guardian, affirming a lower court's earlier dismissal of a 2022 lawsuit. The suit had been filed by several Jackson residents who argued that the city's tainted drinking water violated their constitutional rights.
The ruling addressed the legal question of whether access to clean water is protected under the federal constitution. The appeals court concluded that no such constitutional right exists, a decision that upholds the earlier dismissal of the residents' claims.
Jackson, Mississippi's capital and largest city, has experienced repeated water system failures in recent years, including a 2022 crisis in which large portions of the city lost access to reliable running water for an extended period, according to prior reporting cited by The Guardian.
The Guardian reported that the lawsuit was among efforts by residents to seek legal accountability for the water system's failures. Details on the reasoning of the fifth circuit's opinion, as well as any response from the plaintiffs or the city of Jackson, were not further specified in the available reporting.
This article is based on reporting by The Guardian.
Sources
- US federal court says no constitutional right to clean water in Mississippi case — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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