Report on Water Access Challenges in Appalachia and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Regional Water Crisis and its Link to SDG 6

A significant portion of the population in Appalachian West Virginia, estimated at 250,000 residents, lacks access to safely managed drinking water, a direct challenge to the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Many individuals, such as Roman Patsey of Raleigh County, rely on untreated and potentially contaminated water sources, including abandoned coal mines. This situation highlights a critical failure in providing basic services and underscores the urgency of addressing water infrastructure deficits to meet global sustainability targets.

Key Challenges and SDG Implications

The water crisis in this region is multifaceted, with deep connections to several Sustainable Development Goals beyond SDG 6.

• Infrastructure Decay and SDG 11: The decline of the regional coal industry has led to the abandonment and subsequent decay of essential water treatment facilities. Plants in Kimball and Rhodell are non-operational and crumbling, demonstrating a lack of sustainable and resilient infrastructure, a key target of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Economic Hardship and SDG 1: With a median income of approximately $30,000, communities lack the economic resources to maintain or replace failing water systems. This economic vulnerability is a barrier to achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty), as the lack of basic services like clean water perpetuates cycles of poverty.
• Public Health Risks and SDG 3: The reliance on untested water from mines and natural springs poses significant health risks from potential contaminants. This directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), which aims to ensure healthy lives for all.
• Systemic Inequality and SDG 10: The disparity in water access between these rural, low-income communities and other parts of the nation is a clear example of the issues addressed by SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The crisis disproportionately affects marginalized populations, denying them the basic human right to clean water.

Interventions and Progress Towards SDG Attainment

In response to the crisis, collaborative efforts are underway to restore water access and align the region more closely with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

1. Partnership for Infrastructure Renewal: The nonprofit organization DigDeep, through its Appalachia Water Project, is collaborating with local entities like the Raleigh County Public Service District. This partnership model is crucial for mobilizing resources and expertise to address complex development challenges.
2. Implementation of Clean Water Solutions: In communities such as Rhodell, these partnerships are actively replacing defunct systems to provide clean tap water for the first time in a decade. This work is a direct and tangible action towards achieving the targets of SDG 6.
3. Advocacy for Water as a Human Right: The framing of water access as a fundamental human right by project leaders reinforces the core principles of the SDGs. This approach emphasizes that ensuring access to essential services is a matter of dignity and justice, central to the goal of leaving no one behind.

Conclusion: A Case Study in Localizing the SDGs

The situation in West Virginia serves as a critical case study on the interconnectedness of the Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing the lack of clean water is not merely an infrastructure project but a comprehensive development challenge that involves promoting health (SDG 3), alleviating poverty (SDG 1), reducing inequality (SDG 10), and building resilient communities (SDG 11). The ongoing efforts by organizations like DigDeep demonstrate a localized approach to implementing the global goals, providing a model for tackling similar challenges in other underserved regions.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

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

The article highlights several interconnected issues, primarily revolving around access to clean water in a rural, low-income community in West Virginia. The following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are directly addressed or strongly connected to these issues:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the most central SDG in the article. The entire narrative focuses on the lack of safe, reliable, and accessible drinking water for residents of Raleigh and McDowell counties, who resort to using untreated water from sources like abandoned coal mines.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article implies significant health risks. Residents drink water from an abandoned coal mine and admit, “I don’t know if it’s safe or not.” The lack of water testing for “possible contaminants” points directly to potential health crises from waterborne diseases and chemical pollution, which is a key concern of SDG 3.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The article provides a vivid description of failing infrastructure. The water treatment plants are described as “crumbling,” with “boarded up” windows, a “missing” roof, and “rusted metal.” This decay of essential infrastructure, and the effort by DigDeep to “replace water systems,” directly relates to the goal of building resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: The water crisis is set against a backdrop of economic hardship. The article notes the low “median income in this area is around $30,000 per year” and links the problem to the decline of the coal industry, which previously funded and maintained water systems. The inability of the community to afford infrastructure maintenance is a dimension of poverty addressed by SDG 1.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The issue disproportionately affects a specific rural, low-income community in Appalachia. The article highlights a national disparity by mentioning that “more than 2.2 million Americans” live without clean tap water. The statement, “It is a human right to have access to water…Everyone deserves to have that access,” explicitly frames the problem as an issue of equity and inequality.

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

Based on the specific problems and solutions described in the article, the following SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.1: “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.” The article’s core theme is the struggle of residents like Roman Patsey, who for 50 years has relied on an abandoned coal mine for water. The work of the nonprofit DigDeep to bring “clean tap water to the community for the first time in 10 years” is a direct effort to achieve this target for the people of Rhodell.
2. 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 residents’ use of untested, untreated water from a coal mine exposes them to significant health risks from pollution and contamination. Providing clean, treated water is a fundamental step in preventing such illnesses and achieving this target.
3. Target 9.1: “Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.” The article’s description of the “crumbling” water treatment plant in Rhodell with a “caved in” ceiling and the fear that “the town will lose water” when underground pumps fail highlights the lack of reliable and resilient infrastructure. The project to “replace water systems” is a direct action towards fulfilling this target.
4. Target 1.4: “By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services…” The residents of this low-income area lack access to the most basic service: clean water. The article shows how economic decline led to this deprivation, making the provision of water a key step in ensuring access to basic services for the vulnerable.

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

The article provides both explicit data and implicit metrics that can serve as indicators to measure progress:

• Indicator for Target 6.1 (Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services): The article provides baseline data that can be used as an indicator. It states that “About 250,000 West Virginia residents rely on untreated sources of water” and “more than 2.2 million Americans who it says are living without it.” Progress can be measured by the reduction in these numbers. The successful project in Rhodell, which brought clean water to the community, serves as a micro-level indicator of positive change.
• Indicator for Target 3.9 (Reduction in illnesses from water contamination): An implied indicator is the implementation of water quality testing. The article notes that Roman Patsey has “never conducted regular tests on the water for possible contaminants.” Establishing a system for regular testing and ensuring the water meets safety standards would be a key indicator of progress in mitigating health risks.
• Indicator for Target 9.1 (Development of resilient infrastructure): An implied indicator is the operational status and condition of water infrastructure. The article describes the plants as “crumbling” and non-functional. An indicator of progress would be the number of water treatment systems repaired or replaced, and the percentage of the population served by these new, reliable systems.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cbsnews.com