Wildfire caused widespread drinking water distribution network contamination

The Tubbs Fire (2017) and Camp Fire (2018) are the first known wildfires where widespread drinking water chemical contamination was discovered in the water distribution network and not in the source water after the fire. In both disasters, drinking water exceeded state and federal government‐defined...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AWWA water science 2020-07, Vol.2 (4), p.n/a
Main Authors: Proctor, Caitlin R., Lee, Juneseok, Yu, David, Shah, Amisha D., Whelton, Andrew J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benzene
Chemical contaminants
Chemical contamination
Chemical pollution
Contaminants
Contamination
disaster
Drinking water
Organic compounds
plastics
Public health
Pyrolysis
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
Water distribution
water distribution network
Water pollution
Water quality
wildfire
Wildfires
Wildland-urban interface
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Summary:The Tubbs Fire (2017) and Camp Fire (2018) are the first known wildfires where widespread drinking water chemical contamination was discovered in the water distribution network and not in the source water after the fire. In both disasters, drinking water exceeded state and federal government‐defined exposure limits for several volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminants (e.g., benzene at 40,000 µg/L [Tubbs] and >2,217 µg/L [Camp]). This work outlines factors that influence wildfire‐induced drinking water quality threats based on the findings from these two fires and explores related scientific and policy issues. For example, certain plastics in the network may serve as a primary VOC source through in situ plastic pyrolysis. Depressurization of the distribution network likely transported contaminated water that subsequently contaminated undamaged infrastructure. As wildfires at the wildland–urban interface are likely to occur more frequently, greater scientific evidence is needed to guide agency responses that will better protect public health.
ISSN:2577-8161
2577-8161
DOI:10.1002/aws2.1183