🚨 FEDERAL COURT REJECTS CONSTITUTIONAL CLAIMS IN JACKSON WATER CASE. JACKSON, UNITED STATES - A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean drinking water or a right to accurate information from government officials, closing the door on a major constitutional challenge brought by residents of Jackson, Mississippi. The case stemmed from years of lead contamination and repeated failures in the city’s water system, which left tens of thousands of residents relying on bottled water and emergency distribution sites during prolonged outages. The full Fifth Circuit upheld the dismissal of the lawsuit, finding no historical basis for treating access to uncontaminated water as a fundamental right under the Due Process Clause. The judges also rejected claims that officials violated residents’ bodily integrity, noting that past rulings on bodily integrity typically involve forced medical procedures or physical coercion, not mismanagement of public utilities. Jackson’s water system has struggled for decades, with aging pipes, repeated boil-water notices, and major treatment plant failures that drew national attention in 2022. Federal and state agencies have since poured resources into repairs, including a long-term plan to stabilize the system and replace lead service lines. The court said those political and regulatory avenues remain the proper path for residents seeking relief. The ruling leaves plaintiffs to pursue state-level tort claims or push for reforms through local elections. It also reinforces the limits of constitutional litigation in cases involving failing infrastructure, a point the court emphasized by noting that no federal right to clean water has ever been recognized.