Chicago City Wire

Alan Mills, the executive director of Uptown People's Law Center, is drawing attention to the poor water quality at state-run prisons after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) issued drinking water violation notices for these facilities.

"Everybody knows the water's not good," Mills told WBEZ Chicago. " I don’t remember the last time I went to a prison and guards were willing to drink the water there. They all carry water bottles around."

Over the past six months, the IEPA has accused several correctional facilities of failing to test their water for harmful chemicals such as chlorine, copper, and lead. The IEPA has also pointed out many of these institutions lack essential water treatment and sanitation infrastructure, including water softeners.

Mills told WBEZ he's looking forward to the results of tests for toxic substances in the water.

“You’re not doing testing, you’re not doing all the things you’re supposed to do,” Mills said. “Because nobody ever asked them to before. So we will see what – now that they started to do the testing – what actual substances come out of that testing.”

The IEPA noted a deficiency across the board: the absence of emergency plans for alternative drinking water supplies during natural disasters or instances when the community water supply becomes contaminated. This oversight raises concerns about the safety and well-being of inmates and staff alike.

A coalition of prisoners’ rights and environmental groups sent a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker last April, urging him to take action regarding Legionnella bacteria discovered in the water at a dozen prisons throughout the state. 

David Moran of the Coalition to Decarcerate Illinois, told WBEZ said they just heard back from the state last month.

“It took, like, half a year for them to respond to things that, realistically, are probably worse than when we asked them,” Moran said. “It’s so incredibly frustrating.”