(CN) — In a narrow federal appeals court hearing Thursday, residents of Jackson, Mississippi, fought to revive their class action against the city, claiming they were denied due process in dealing with contaminated drinking water and inflated bills.
The case stems from the city’s long-running water crisis, which forced customers to endure lead contamination, low pressure, and outages while paying full rates and buying potable water from other sources. In the lawsuit, filed on behalf of potentially thousands of Jackson residents, they claim violations of procedural due process under the 14th Amendment and state breach of contract laws.
Plaintiffs Clifton Jackson, Helen Noel, and William Noel initially said the city deprived them of a protected property interest by charging for undrinkable water without adequate hearings to address quality issues. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate dismissed the case in March 2025, ruling the plaintiffs lacked standing because their water service was never terminated and that administrative processes for billing disputes were sufficient…