You Don't Have a Right to Safe Drinking Water, US Court Rules

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a 2022 lawsuit accusing Jackson, Mississippi, of knowingly providing lead-contaminated water, ruling that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean water or truthful information during a public-health crisis. EPA tests in 2020 documented persistent lead violations, yet no municipal, state, or federal agency remedied the problem, leaving residents—including children with diagnosed lead poisoning—exposed to unsafe water.