… For decades, people incarcerated at Mule Creek have raised the alarm about the prison’s drinking water. Reporting from inside Mule Creek State Prison, with interviews and surveys from nearly 100 people—including currently incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, loved ones of the incarcerated, and former prison staff—and a review of thousands of pages of records, reveals troubling concerns and observations of the prison’s water quality for the last 20 years. … Despite this litany of warning signs, including repeated complaints and lawsuits, the prison has deferred responsibility. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials say the local water company is responsible for ensuring the water is safe; the water company says state regulators are responsible; regulators say it’s the prison’s responsibility. All the while, incarcerated people at Mule Creek have no choice but to drink it.