Report on Water Quality Crisis in Cadiz, Ohio and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The Village of Cadiz, Ohio, is experiencing a prolonged water quality crisis characterized by a boil advisory in effect since late June. High levels of turbidity in the municipal water supply, sourced from Tappan Lake, have rendered the water unsafe for direct consumption. This situation presents significant challenges to public health, economic stability, and community well-being, directly impeding progress toward several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

Impacts on Community Well-being and Local Economy

The failure to provide safe drinking water has had wide-ranging consequences for the approximately 3,300 residents and 1,400 municipal water customers in Cadiz. This directly contravenes the core principles of several SDGs.

Challenges to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• High turbidity levels pose a significant public health risk, as suspended particles can harbor bacteria and waterborne pathogens. This undermines Target 3.9, which aims to substantially reduce the number of illnesses from water pollution and contamination.
• Residents have expressed concerns over using the water for basic hygiene, such as bathing and brushing teeth, highlighting a decline in fundamental well-being.

Setbacks for SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Local businesses have been severely impacted. Food service establishments are unable to use soda fountains or coffee machines connected to the water line.
• Service-based businesses, such as hair salons, face operational difficulties and potential loss of clientele due to the inability to use tap water for services like hair washing.
• These disruptions hinder local economic productivity and threaten the viability of small enterprises, working against the objectives of SDG 8.

Erosion of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The crisis underscores a critical failure in providing basic services, a key component of Target 11.1.
• The reliance on temporary solutions, such as water tankers and bottled water, is unsustainable and places an additional burden on residents, affecting community resilience.

Infrastructure Failure and a Deficient Response

The root cause of the crisis appears to be a failure in the water treatment infrastructure, a critical area of focus for SDG 6. The response from municipal authorities has been met with public frustration regarding a lack of clear communication and a definitive timeline for resolution.

Technical Assessment of the Water System Failure

An investigation into the municipal water treatment plant has revealed conflicting information regarding the precise cause.

1. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Findings: The Ohio EPA identified cracks in the concrete of the plant’s filtration system. This structural flaw reportedly allows water used for backwashing filters to re-contaminate the potable water supply with sediment and particles.
2. Village Administration Position: The Village Administrator has stated that the exact cause is still under investigation by a structural engineer, while also citing environmental factors such as algae blooms and runoff from heavy rainfall as contributors to high turbidity.

Addressing SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The situation in Cadiz is a direct failure to meet Target 6.1: to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.

• The infrastructural decay points to a need for significant investment in water management systems, as encouraged by SDG Target 6.a (expand international cooperation and capacity-building support).
• The ongoing nature of the problem highlights challenges in local water management and the need to strengthen community participation in finding solutions, as outlined in SDG Target 6.b.
• Efforts to resolve the issue, including replacing filter media and adjusting chemical treatments, are underway but have not yet been sufficient to lift the boil advisory, leaving the community’s access to clean water unresolved.

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 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   This is the most central SDG to the article. The entire piece focuses on the lack of safe drinking water in the Village of Cadiz due to “ongoing water quality issues.” The presence of a “boil advisory” since late June directly points to a failure in providing clean water, which is the primary goal of SDG 6.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   The article connects the water quality issue to health risks. It states that high turbidity “can host bacteria and waterborne disease.” Residents express health-related concerns, with one saying, “I don’t feel comfortable bathing or brushing my teeth with it.” This directly relates to ensuring healthy lives and well-being, which is at the core of SDG 3.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   The economic impact on the community is a significant theme. The article details how local businesses are “very much impacted.” A hair salon struggles because clients don’t want their hair washed, restaurants “can’t get a Coke at the fast food restaurant” because they cannot use their soda guns, and a new Dunkin’ Donuts “has never had the ability to make their espresso drinks.” This demonstrates how the failure of basic infrastructure hinders local economic activity, connecting the issue to SDG 8.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   The problem is rooted in failing municipal infrastructure, specifically “cracks in the water treatment plants filtration system.” The inability of the village, home to “around 3,300 people,” to provide a basic service like safe water affects its sustainability and livability. This aligns with SDG 11’s goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

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

• 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 article clearly shows this target is not being met in Cadiz. The water is not safe, as evidenced by the boil advisory. Access is not equitable or convenient, as residents like Ryan Tenney have to “make a trip to get clean drinking water” from tankers or buy bottled water.
  • Target 6.3: “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution…” The article describes a failure to maintain water quality, with the problem being “high levels of turbidity” caused by “cracks in the filter bed’s concrete” that allow “backwashed particles to get into the treated water supply.”
  • Target 6.b: “Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.” The article implies a weakness in this area, noting “a feeling among some residents that the city isn’t doing enough to communicate” and that there is “no real consistent information on if, or when, it’s going to be done.”

• 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 risk of “waterborne disease and bacteria” from the contaminated water supply is a direct threat that this target aims to eliminate. The boil advisory is a measure to prevent the illnesses this target seeks to reduce.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Target 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity…” The article illustrates how the water crisis negatively impacts this target. Local businesses are unable to operate at full capacity (“Our business has been very much impacted,” “makes it hard when your business counts on water”), which directly reduces their economic productivity and viability.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Target 11.1: “By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services…” Safe, potable water is a fundamental basic service. The article demonstrates a failure to provide this service to the “1,400 customers” of the municipal water system, making the community less sustainable and livable.

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

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators:

• Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services (Indicator 6.1.1): The article implies this proportion is effectively zero for the “around 3,300 people” in the village and the “1,400 customers” of the water system, as all are under a boil advisory.
• Ambient water quality: The article explicitly names “high turbidity levels” as the core problem. Turbidity is a standard, measurable indicator of water quality.
• Duration of service disruption: The article provides a timeline, stating the boil advisory has been in place “Since late June” and has lasted for “about five weeks” and is now “months going on.” This duration is a clear indicator of the severity and persistence of the infrastructure failure.
• Population affected: The article quantifies the number of people impacted, citing the village population of “around 3,300 people” and the “1,400 customers” of the water system.
• Economic impact on businesses: While not quantified with revenue figures, the article provides clear qualitative indicators of economic disruption, such as the inability to use soda guns, make espresso drinks, or wash hair at a salon. These are direct measures of lost business capacity.
• Infrastructure condition: The specific mention of “cracks in the filter bed’s concrete” serves as an indicator of failing water infrastructure.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: spectrumnews1.com