Was the deadly Lemoore water tank explosion ‘preventable’? Here’s what the city says
The city of Lemoore said Wednesday afternoon that a water tank explosion that killed one worker and injured another last month was “preventable.”
Officials have said the tank lifted approximately 70 feet off the ground in the explosion, which occurred when methane gas ignited as welding was being done as part of a city project.
“This tank had been in service for many years without problems or incident. The contractor’s employee failed to perform an essential, required safety-check procedure before performing hot work (welding) on this tank,” according to a statement from the city. “Proper monitoring of the head space would have alerted the contractor of a condition that existed at a time when he must not perform welding.”
Dion Jones, 41, a welder, was killed in the accident on June 23, when the tank left its pad, spilling 1.5 million gallons of water that essentially formed a tsunami. Another city worker, Jeremy Climer, was injured, treated and later released from the hospital.
The city of Lemoore also issued several advisory warnings:
▪ People doing plumbing work on water systems or in confined spaces containing municipal water must test the area for the presence of gas before performing work. This must be done as a matter of standard practice when cutting pipe, working in confined spaces with head spaces, or exposing any unknown atmosphere to an ignition source. This kind of “hot work” includes anything that creates a spark or significant heat-producing activity.
▪ Industrial facilities with water-holding tanks must check the head space for the presence of gas and ensure that active monitoring probes are de-energized, or monitored in relationship to the gas levels in the head space; and before any “hot work” is performed with this type of equipment and environment.
▪ City water is safe to drink, as the EPA and California Department of Drinking Water do not require testing for methane, the gas identified to have been involved. The guidance with this advisory is to ensure residents that the water is safe, but additional steps are required for the maintenance of water systems.
The work being done when the explosion took place was part of a water quality project intended to bring the city into state compliance. The city said it will resume “shortly” on getting its new water systems tested and approved for use by the state, but in the meantime, the water is safe, officials said.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 6:20 PM.
