The Maryville Treatment Center has its own water tower, but Maryville provides the water supply. The water tower is on the highest point of the prison property (about 1,118 feet at its base compared to 1,103 at the base of the distinctive 1947 motherhouse bell tower. In my initial research I could not find the height of the bell tower or water tower (or tower capacity)
For many years, I thought this was because prisons tried to keep their water systems separate from local communities in case there was a dispute between the entities, but that is not the case. Here’s a deep dive using AI.
Why does a prison have its own water tower?
Water towers at institutional facilities like the Maryville Treatment Center (a minimum-security prison and treatment facility operated by the Missouri Department of Corrections near Maryville, Missouri) serve the same critical infrastructure purposes as municipal water towers: [1]
Could a community cut off water to a prison in some dispute?
A local community or municipality generally cannot legally or practically cut off the water supply to an operating prison during a dispute (such as unpaid utility bills, budget stalemates, or political disagreements), though threats or debates have occasionally surfaced. [1]
Why a Community Cannot Cut Off a Prison’s Water
- Constitutional Rights and Inmate Welfare: Depriving a prison of water creates an immediate humanitarian and constitutional crisis. Under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment), correctional facilities are legally required to provide inmates with adequate drinking water and sanitation. [1, 2]
- Legal Liability for Officials: Courts have consistently ruled that denying incarcerated individuals access to water or basic sanitation is unconstitutional. Judges have repeatedly denied qualified immunity to jail and correctional officials who allowed water cutoffs or severe water shortages to persist for even a few days. [1]
State/Federal Preemption & Court Interventions: If a local municipality or local utility attempts to cut off water to a state or federal facility over a financial dispute (such as a state budget impasse), higher-level state or federal courts will typically issue an emergency injunction forcing the water to be turned back on immediately.
Jokes About City Providing Water to Prison
- The prison’s water comes from the city—so even the pipes are under municipal supervision.
- The water supply is city-run, so every drink comes with a little civic responsibility.
- They wanted bottled water, but the warden said, “You’re already doing hard time.
- That prison doesn’t have a fountain of its own. It’s on a municipal drip.
- The city said it would keep the prison supplied with water—as long as the inmates stay in their lane.
- They wanted bottled water, but the warden said, “You’re already doing hard time. Don’t make it a mineral sentence.