In a letter to the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia stated that alleged absence of clean drinking water at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center is in potential violation of the U.S. Constitution.

“We are writing to learn whether the water at the Detention Center was or remains contaminated with unsafe and potentially lethal toxins. To the extent there is no supply of potable water available, people detained in your custody are at a substantial risk of serious harm,” the letter dated January 21 said.

“The Sheriff’s Office has the responsibility to provide safe and humane conditions for the people in its custody. Failure to do so not only violates incarcerated people’s basic human rights; it also potentially violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution,” it continued.

The ACLU had issued an earlier press release on January 18 which resulted in a response from the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

“A failure to remedy this alleged water contamination exposes the Sheriff’s Office to liability under the U.S. Constitution,” said Kosha Tucker, staff attorney of the ACLU of Georgia. “Everyone in this community should be alarmed over the inhumane and unacceptable conditions at the jail.”

Asked for comment, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Glenn Daniel referred the Courier to the department’s previously released statement, issued on Sunday in response to the original request by the ACLU for an investigation.