CNN – The wildfires in the Los Angeles area have destroyed thousands of structures, many of them homes, and firefighters continue to battle the infernos. Parts of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and other California communities are now unrecognizable.
As evacuation orders are lifted, safe drinking water should be top of mind for those residents able to return to their homes.
What many people don’t realize is the extent to which their community drinking water systems can be damaged by fire, how their water is affected and what they can do about it.
As an environmental engineer, I work with communities affected by wildfires and other disasters. Over the years, my team and I have been called in to help after some of the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history. In some cases, we have advised state and local officials from afar.
Several local water systems in the Los Angeles area have begun issuing warnings about not using the potentially unsafe drinking water. Here’s what residents in the area, and anyone else living near where a wildfire burns, need to know.
How fires can make water unsafe
Fires can make drinking water, and the water pipes and tanks themselves, unsafe. This occurs for a number of reasons.
One cause is when high water use from firefighting drains the water system.
Water systems are not designed to fight wildfires. Damaged and destroyed structures also prompt uncontrolled water leaks.
Power loss also prevents water from being replenished fast enough into the draining water systems. Combined, these factors can depressurize the water system, leaving no water available.
When water is depleted, the system is vulnerable to chemical contamination.
Drinking water contamination can also come from the air and from damage to water system infrastructure. Heat can partially melt plastic pipes and water meters, releasing chemicals; smoke can be sucked into water systems; and breaks in the water infrastructure can introduce contamination …
