A US court has ruled that residents of Jackson, Mississippi, do not have a constitutional right to safe drinking water, despite years of lead contamination. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit that alleged the city knowingly exposed residents to harmful levels of lead.

‘The Constitution does not provide redress for every governmental wrongdoing,’ said Judge Kurt Engelhardt, who added that residents had no right to truthful information during a public health crisis.

Meanwhile, the city, with a majority Black population and a high poverty rate, has struggled to address the long-term issue, which has led to children’s lead poisoning and a series of boil-water notices. In 2020, the EPA found ‘persistent and concerning violations’ in the water system.

The ruling comes as the Trump administration moves to weaken clean-water protections, with further dilutions to the Clean Water Act, sparking criticism from environmental groups.