Russell Rowe’s nearly two-and-a-half-year stay at Washington DC’s central detention facility was marred by a relentless sense of thirst. In a facility where rusty water flowed from taps connected to sinks doubling as toilets, Rowe often found himself lingering at the nurse’s station, hoping for an extra sip of water to wash down his medication. His constant dehydration left him feeling physically unwell and emotionally drained.

For many of the 2 million individuals incarcerated across the United States, Rowe’s experience is tragically familiar. The grim reality of having to drink disgusting and dangerous water is a hallmark of their time behind bars.

Broderick Hollins, who spent a dozen years in various Illinois prisons and jails, vividly recalls the tap water at Stateville correctional center. It ran brown, tasting of onions, and sometimes contained clumps of rat hairs due to lead pipes. Hollins suffered extreme lead poisoning during his time at Stateville, resulting in debilitating migraines, nosebleeds, and blurred vision. His release in 2020 only came after painful chelation therapy to rid his body of the lead.

These stories of water contamination are not isolated incidents. Across the country, formerly or currently incarcerated individuals recount choking down water that tastes of sewage or sulfur, emerges discolored or hot from taps, or contains visible sediment. The lack of access to alternatives leaves them with no choice but to consume it for survival.

Research and investigations have uncovered a myriad of contaminants in the water systems of many US corrections facilities, including toxic heavy metals, PFAS “forever chemicals”, DDT, coal ash, bacteria, and radioactive gas radon. Anne Nigra, an environmental health scientist at Columbia University, views these findings as evidence of a systemic devaluation of the lives of incarcerated individuals.

Despite the federal Safe Drinking Water Act theoretically protecting the right to clean water for all, incarcerated individuals routinely face denials of this basic necessity. The lack of consideration for their well-being is evident in the dangerously decaying infrastructure of many prisons, with hundreds of facilities situated near highly toxic Superfund sites or constructed on polluted plots.

The dire need for infrastructure upgrades in federal prisons is underscored by a US Department of Justice report, which found that $2 billion in repairs are required. However, the Bureau of Prisons has only requested a fraction of this amount from Congress, reflecting a broader hesitancy to allocate funds for incarcerated individuals’ welfare.

In addition to contaminated water, incarcerated individuals face the cruel reality of forced shutoffs, leaving them without access to water for showers or hand-washing. Bottled water provided as a temporary solution is often insufficient to meet their daily needs, resulting in a cycle of poor health exacerbated by inadequate hydration.

Data specific to water quality in the nation’s 3,200 detention centers is scarce, but the limited information available paints a damning picture. Incarcerated individuals are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic, bacteria, copper, manganese, and other contaminants, posing serious health risks.

The urgency of addressing water contamination in prisons is heightened by the climate crisis, with extreme temperatures and worsening storms exacerbating existing challenges. Hurricanes, heatwaves, and flooding further compromise water infrastructure, leaving incarcerated individuals vulnerable to even greater health risks.

Efforts to address water quality issues are hindered by a lack of national oversight and accountability. State and federal prisons alike operate without robust regulatory frameworks, allowing violations to persist unchecked.

As Randall Liberty, Maine’s commissioner of corrections, aptly summarizes, reducing carceral water contamination requires addressing entrenched attitudes and inadequate funding. Until comprehensive reforms are implemented, incarcerated individuals will continue to suffer the silent crisis of contaminated water, enduring hardships that extend far beyond their prison sentences.