Project Status Report: Lemoore Water Treatment Plant Completion

Introduction and Alignment with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The City of Lemoore has reopened the bidding process to complete the construction of two critical water treatment plants. This initiative is fundamental to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The project’s primary objective is to bring the city’s drinking water into compliance with state regulations by reducing harmful contaminants. The successful completion of these plants is a direct measure of the city’s commitment to providing safe and clean water to its residents.

• Primary Goal: To reduce levels of trihalomethanes (TTHMs), aluminum, arsenic, and lead in the municipal water supply.
• Project History: The project commenced six years prior and was approximately 75% complete before being halted.
• Current Status: The bidding process was re-initiated on July 1 to secure a contractor for the final construction phase.

Public Health Imperatives and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The project is intrinsically linked to SDG 3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being. The presence of contaminants in the water supply poses a significant public health risk, which the new treatment plants are designed to mitigate.

Contaminant Levels and Health Risks

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), long-term exposure to TTHMs, a primary contaminant in Lemoore’s water, can lead to severe health issues. This directly contravenes the targets of SDG 3.

• Known Health Risks: Potential for liver, kidney, or central nervous system problems and an increased risk of cancer.
• Severity in Lemoore: Testing in 2024 revealed that TTHM levels in the city’s wells averaged 183% above the maximum mandated level.
• Community Health Impact: Despite official statements classifying the situation as a “minimal risk,” the continued exposure to such high contaminant levels jeopardizes the long-term health and well-being of the community.

Project Delays and Challenges to Sustainable Development Goals

Significant setbacks have impeded progress, highlighting systemic challenges related to multiple SDGs, including workplace safety, infrastructure resilience, and institutional governance.

Workplace Safety Failure and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

A catastrophic event in 2021 stalled the project and represented a severe failure in upholding SDG 8, which calls for safe and secure working environments for all workers.

1. A fatal explosion occurred, launching a 1.5 million-gallon tank and resulting in the death of a 41-year-old construction worker.
2. This incident led to litigation against the city, which subsequently paused all construction activities.

Infrastructure and Institutional Hurdles: A Challenge to SDG 9 and SDG 16

The delay in restarting the project underscores difficulties in developing resilient infrastructure (SDG 9) and ensuring effective, accountable institutions (SDG 16). City officials have cited several complex factors preventing a swift resolution.

• Litigation: Ongoing legal proceedings, with a trial date set for May 2026, have been a primary barrier.
• Contractual and Financial Issues: Officials noted significant challenges related to bonds, insurance, and warranties from the original construction.
• Contractor Procurement: Finding a new contractor willing to complete the work of a previous one has proven difficult.
• Financial Uncertainty: The project was budgeted at $22 million in 2019, but current cost estimates have not been disclosed, indicating potential financial management challenges.

Conclusion: Advancing Sustainable Communities through Water Infrastructure

The completion of the Lemoore water treatment plants is a critical step toward creating a sustainable community, as envisioned in SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The project’s delays, stemming from a tragic failure in workplace safety (SDG 8) and subsequent institutional challenges (SDG 16), have postponed the fulfillment of the fundamental human right to clean water (SDG 6) and the protection of public health (SDG 3). Moving forward requires overcoming these legal and logistical hurdles to deliver the resilient infrastructure necessary for the community’s long-term health and sustainability.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article directly connects to this goal by discussing the health risks associated with contaminated drinking water. It mentions that long-term exposure to trihalomethanes (TTHMs) “can cause liver, kidney or central nervous system issues and an increased risk of cancer.” This highlights the threat to the well-being of the residents of Lemoore.

2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • This is the central SDG in the article. The entire project is about replacing water treatment plants to ensure safe drinking water. The article explicitly states the new plants are needed “to comply with state regulations to reduce levels of trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in the drinking water” and also mentions the presence of “Aluminum, arsenic and lead” in the municipal wells.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article touches upon this goal through the tragic construction accident. The death of welder Dian Jones in an explosion at the worksite points to issues of occupational safety and the need for secure working environments.

4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • This goal is relevant as the article focuses on the construction of critical public infrastructure: two water treatment plants. The project’s stall at 75% completion, the explosion of a 1.5 million-gallon tank, and the complexities of restarting construction highlight challenges in developing “quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure.”

5. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The article connects to this goal through the legal and institutional challenges facing the city. The project is stalled due to “ongoing litigation” from the worker’s family. The city’s communication with residents via “annual consumer confidence reports” and the complexities of managing bonds and insurance demonstrate the role of public institutions in managing infrastructure projects and public information.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The article’s focus on reducing TTHMs, arsenic, and lead in drinking water to prevent cancer and other diseases directly aligns with this target.

2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The project’s primary goal is to treat contaminated water to make it safe for consumption, which is the core of this target. The article notes TTHM levels are significantly above the maximum safe level, indicating a lack of access to safe water.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers. The death of the construction worker in an on-site explosion is a direct failure to meet this target of ensuring a safe working environment.

4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being. The construction of water treatment plants is a direct effort towards this target. However, the explosion and subsequent project stall demonstrate a failure to build this infrastructure in a resilient and timely manner.

5. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The city’s distribution of “annual consumer confidence reports” is an example of transparency. However, the project’s six-year delay, legal entanglements, and stalled progress raise questions about the effectiveness of the institutions responsible for its completion.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 3.9 & 6.1:

   • Indicator: The level of chemical contaminants in the water supply. The article provides a specific metric: “testing for TTHMs shows Lemoore’s wells averaged 183% above the maximum level in 2024.” The presence of “Aluminum, arsenic and lead” is also an indicator of water quality. Progress would be measured by the reduction of these contaminants to safe levels.

2. For Target 8.8:

   • Indicator: The number of fatal occupational injuries. The article provides a clear data point: the death of one construction worker, “41-year-old welder Dian Jones,” in the 2021 accident. This serves as a direct indicator of workplace safety failure.

3. For Target 9.1:

   • Indicator: The status and cost of infrastructure projects. The article states the project was “about 75% complete in 2021” and had a budget of “$22 million in 2019.” The current stalled status and unknown updated costs are indicators of the challenges in completing the infrastructure.

4. For Target 16.6:

   • Indicator: The existence of public reporting mechanisms and the status of legal proceedings. The article mentions the city distributes “annual consumer confidence reports” as a measure of transparency. The ongoing litigation, with a “trial date set for May 20, 2026,” serves as an indicator of the functioning (or slowness) of the justice and institutional processes.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: sjvwater.org