A review of state records found 22 drinking-water violations since 2020 in the system serving the Coffield and Michael units in Tennessee Colony, according to reporting based on a Texas Civil Rights Project investigation.

The violations reportedly included microbial contamination, disinfection byproducts linked to health risks, infrastructure failures and monitoring or reporting problems. Two were classified as health-based violations.

People incarcerated at the units described water that smelled or tasted strongly of chlorine and reported concerns about gastrointestinal and skin problems. Those accounts document what prisoners experienced, but they do not by themselves prove that the water caused a particular illness.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulates public drinking-water systems and conducts compliance monitoring. TDCJ operates many prison water systems and is responsible for providing safe water inside its facilities.

Families concerned about water at a unit can check the state’s Drinking Water Watch database, document medical symptoms and grievances, and request current testing and violation records. Reports should distinguish confirmed regulatory violations from unverified medical claims.

Source: Truthout — Texas prison water investigation and TCEQ records.